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Posted in Grace, gratitude, heaven, life, Scripture, thankful, travel

Timeless

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.” 2 Peter 3:8

The captain of the Majestic Princess carefully guided the massive ship into a slip at the port that served Dublin, Ireland. On that day we had signed up to take a bus tour that would take us through Dublin and the surrounding countryside. My wife Judy and I both agreed that Ireland was everything we were expecting and then some more. The green beauty and the history of the place reminded us of the majestic majesty of our great God.

We went to one of the oldest shops in Ireland where they weaved wool into beautiful garments. They used the same machines that had been used for decades and centuries. It was amazing to watch as the individual strands of wool were woven into beautiful garments with beautiful colors. As I watched and as I touched and felt the finished products I was reminded how God can weave the fabrics of our lives and make a beautiful mosaic of textures and colors. Individually the threads were not that impressive but when woven together they became a work of art.

A little further down the road we stopped at a cemetery that held the ruins of an ancient monastery. The buildings there date back to AD 600. It was amazing to think that these stones and these ruins stood just six centuries after the life and death of Jesus. Here in America if something is a hundred years old, we call it old. In the land where we were walking they would say it was just getting started.

In the cemetery the people had built a small chapel also built in AD 600. Amazingly the building still stood. Yes, Amazing. Near the entrance of the cemetery was a stone leaning against the stone wall. It was large and it was old. It was part of the ancient monastery and it was called the sanctuary stone. They said that if you touched the stone it would make you happy. Well, since I didn’t take the opportunity to go and kiss the Blarney Stone, I decided to take this opportunity to kiss the sanctuary stone. I figured if touching it would make me happy, kissing it should make me plum giddy. Well, as it turns out, kiss or not, I was happy but I did get a special memory of a special day.

One of my big take-aways from my day in the Irish countryside was a deep appreciation for time and Jesus who left heaven which exists outside of time and chose to become one of us. One of the beauties of God’s view of time is that He is not bound by it and when we go to live with Him…we won’t be either. One day, as His children, we will go home to a place where time is no more and we will have what touching or kissing a stone can’t give…true and eternal happiness. I am grateful for my Dearest Daddy who loves me enough to invite me to live with Him forever. I am so grateful to the One who, no matter what, can assuredly say, “I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, Grace, heaven, New Year, Scripture

New Life…New Land

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

Her name was Annie Moore. Our next stop aboard the Majestic Princess fulfilled a “bucket list” dream for my wife Judy and I. We have long wanted to visit Ireland and that day…we did. The port and town of Cobh, Ireland (also know as Queenstown) was really quite simple but also quite amazing. It seemed to be everything we expected Ireland to be. What we didn’t expect was to be introduced to the story of a young lady and her two younger brothers. Their names were Annie, Anthony and Philip. And they were the very first immigrants to pass through Ellis Island.

As New York City welcomed the year 1892 with the ringing of church bells and the honking of horns, a 17-year-old Irish girl named Annie Moore found herself anchored off the southern tip of Manhattan. Alongside her two younger brothers, she had embarked on a journey from Queenstown, on December 20, 1891, aboard the steamship Nevada, seeking a new life in a new land. After a 12-day voyage, including Christmas, the girl from County Cork, Ireland, was finally just hours away from reuniting with her parents and two older siblings, after a four year separation.

The Nevada arrived too late on New Year’s Eve to be processed. However, at 10:30 a.m. on New Year’s Day, a flag on Ellis Island was lowered three times, signaling the transportation of the first boatload of immigrants. A symphony of foghorns, clanging bells, steam whistles, and cheers accompanied a barge adorned with red, white, and blue bunting as it ferried the Nevada’s steerage passengers to the dock at Ellis Island, standing tall in the shadow of the Statue of Liberty.

Among the passengers was the brown-haired Irish teenager, who eagerly bounded down the gangplank with her brothers. She entered the enormous double doors of the building and skipped two steps at a time up the main staircase. Turning to her left, she was guided into one of the 10 aisles and led to a tall lectern-like registry desk. “What is your name, my dear?” inquired the agent. “Annie Moore, sir,” she replied. With a pen poised over a fresh sheet of paper, the clerk meticulously inked Moore’s name and those of her brothers, Anthony and Philip, on the first page of the first registry book. Annie was then escorted into the next room and was soon embraced by her waiting parents. Over the course of the next 62 years, more than 12 million immigrants would follow in Annie Moore’s footsteps, passing through Ellis Island.

Her story is amazing–a new life in a new land–a reunion with her parents and older brothers after a four year separation. She was home but to a home she had never been to before. And in a very real way, Annie’s story is the story of every person who puts their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. By faith we trust Jesus and begin a new life in a new land. Paul, the guy who wrote a chunk of the New Testament, says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” Then Jesus promises in John 14:2 “In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.”

Just like Annie, we too can leave the past behind and step into a new life in a new place. How about you? Are you willing to believe and trust? That’s all you have to do…believe in Him and trust Him and leave the rest is in His hands.  Like always, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in food, Grace, Scripture, travel

Sticks and Scones

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Ephesians 3:20-21

The title of today’s story makes no sense…but it is cute. So after leaving Southhampton, England we hit the road again…metaphorically speaking. Our next port was Falmouth but it is more commonly known as Cornwall. Cornwall is a county on England’s rugged southwestern tip and it forms a peninsula encompassing wild moorland and hundreds of sandy beaches and is home of Land’s End…the furtherest Western point in England. Step into the water there and the next stop is the New World. I have to admit I am partial to the name Falmouth since my favorite memory of this port involves food.

So we took a tour of this part of Southern England and heard that one of the things it is famous for are scones and clotted cream. Now in case you are wondering a scone is kinda like a biscuit that has been left on the kitchen counter for just a little too long. Well, that is the way this American would describe it. But it goes further. It is a big deal, especially in this part of England, to have scones and hot tea. Oh, and if you are wondering about hot tea it is like a weak cup of coffee with a twist. So part of our tour included a stop at a hotel for a afternoon break of scones and tea.

The way the tour guide described this British delicacy caused me to look forward to it with great anticipation. It is described like this. The scone is, well, a scone. Like I said earlier it is kinda like a day old biscuit. However, what comes next is somewhat redemptive. First, you have clotted cream. According to Google, clotted cream is a thick, rich, yellowish cream from the Cornwall region, made by heating full-fat cow’s milk and allowing the cream to rise and “clot” on top. It’s a staple for cream tea, served on scones with jam (Devon style: cream first, Cornwall style: jam first). It has a nutty, slightly sweet flavor and a dense, velvety texture, and can also be used on desserts, with fruit, or in recipes for fudge and ice cream. 

Sounds great doesn’t it? Well, here’s the bottom line. To me it was a whole lot like a cheap brand of margarine. It sure didn’t match the description in the previous paragraph. I’m not being critical but the truth is the truth. Now I will have to say the strawberry jam was quite tasty. And I also have to admit that when you put it all together is was, well, ok. I’ll still take one of Momma’s biscuits with butter and cane syrup.  Anyway, we paid for it so we ate it. But I learned, or relearned, a valuable lesson.

Sometimes the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence. Sometimes it is just grass. And regardless of what the British say, a scone with jam and clotted cream is a far cry from Mamma’s biscuits. It may have been fun to try something new but my big takeaway was the fact that there’s no place like home…again metaphorically speaking anyway. Remember, before you leave where you are make sure where you’re going is better. It’s true with scones and biscuits and it is really true with our Dearest Daddy. Satan will try and convince you that what he has is better. Bluntly…it ain’t. Ask the devil is he can handle something and he will look at you like a “calf at a new gate.” Ask God that same question and He will just smile and say, “You know I’ve got this.” And He does.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Uncategorized

Sticker Shock

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 6:23

I was shocked. Most of us are familiar with the term “sticker shock.” That normally applies to cars. You know when we finally decide it is time to shop around for a new vehicle. The air is filled with excitement at the prospect of something new sitting in our driveway. We can feel the neighbor’s admiring smile as they drive by our driveway and admire our new wheels. We can’t wait until we can go to the dealer. There is the car of our dreams. We stop, get out and look and then we see the sticker price and then quickly our dream becomes a nightmare. We quickly get back into our car before we can be accosted by the salesman. We know he is bent on convincing us we can afford the car which is worth just about half the value of our house. Sigh and then sigh some more.

Sticker shock chapter two.  Sometimes it doesn’t take a visit to the auto dealer to experience sticker shock. Sometimes it can be right there in our email inbox.  Just last week I was going through my emails to sort out things I need and things I don’t. I like a nice and neat inbox.  So, I receive several “good deal” emails and occasionally I find some very good deals. Today was not one of those days—but something did catch my eye.

The top of the email advertised a bunch of deals from Amazon—up to 85% off. Well, I learned a long time ago that “up to” doesn’t mean a thing in advertising but still it was intriguing.  I took a look, and something caught my eye—not because it was such a good deal, but because it was a sticker shocker. Amazon was proud to announce that you could buy six regular size Hershey bars for…get ready…hang one…recharge your pacemaker…$5.38.  The regular price was $7.10. I was shocked.

My problem was twofold. First, I guess I don’t buy many candy bars, so I was unaware that candy bars and gold were on the same level these days! Someone reading this will probably think, “Where has this guy been?” Well, apparently on another planet…and that leads to problem two. You see, when I was growing up, and I acknowledge that was a few years ago, I can remember going to the store with my Daddy.  On special occasions he would splurge and buy a six pack of Snicker bars. I suppose it was always Snickers because that was his favorite.  The price was a whopping 49 cents…not for one but for six.

No, I am not stuck in the sixties but the last time I checked candy prices I thought it was like 69 cents…and for the record I thought that was too high.  As you can imagine I had candy bar sticker shock on steroids. The bottom line is everything is going up and everything costs more than it used to so I guess we might as well get used to it.

Of course, there is one thing that is immune from inflation and that is God’s gift of eternal life. Over the centuries it has never gone up…and it never will. You see, when God sent His Son to earth and when His Son willingly died on that Roman cross the price was paid in full. Anyone willing to ask can have the gift free of charge. Imagine all your sins forgiven and wiped away and a forever home in heaven. Oh and did I mention a new Best Friend who will never leave you or forsake you?

I may be shocked about this extravagant gift but not because of sticker shock…but because of love shock. How could the God who made it all pay it all for a world of people who are all unworthy.  And that is the amazing thing.  Because He is God. So, no matter how long your sin list, I hope you will trust and believe and take God up on His amazing offer.  Trust me…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, food, friends, gratitude, priorities, Scripture, travel

When the New Becomes Old

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Then Hannah prayed and said, “My heart exults in the Lord; My horn is exalted in the Lord, My mouth speaks boldly against my enemies, Because I rejoice in Your salvation. 1 Samual 2:1

When the Majestic Princess set sail from Fort Lauderdale that Friday morning in April, it was quite the party. Her 3,600 passengers and even most of her 1,300 crew were excited about the transatlantic voyage that would relocate the ship to Europe for the summer sailing season. Everyone, or mostly everyone, was excited about exploring the ship, trying the food in the Marketplace buffet and listening to the music that seemed to be pouring from every corner of the ship. 

And, so we sailed, and sailed and sailed. Amazingly it never got boring but it did become somewhat routine. I guess you could call it a new normal. After a week of sailing we bumped in the Azores and a couple of days later we bumped into the European continent. Then we sailed on for a couple of more days and landed in France and the next day we reached, for the first time, our final destination–Southhampton. Now, even though we booked our journey as one continuous 25 day cruise, in reality the cruise line counted as two. The first part ended at Southhampton and the second part also started there. 

At Southhampton we lost 2,600 passengers and boarded 1,400 newbies. So, to the do the math for you, we had about a 1,000 of us who started the journey in Fort Lauderdale and stayed aboard and we gained about 1,400 that started there at Southhampton.  And let me tell you–those two groups were way different in their reactions to the trip. Those of us who had already been on the ship for about 14 days just sorta yawned at all the chaos while the newbie were as exited as we had been back in Fort Lauderdale. For all of them, it was like Christmas morning. It was almost humorous to watch them run from place to place, dance like no one was watching and load their plates to the edges at the newly discovered buffet. Yup, they were genuinely excited.

Now it wasn’t that we oldies weren’t excited, its just that all of the routines were, well, routine. The new had become old and  the uncommon common–mostly we had lost the expectation and excitement of the newness of the journey. It wasn’t good or bad it was just the way it was. Now I suppose that is ok for a 25 day cruise but there are times when it isn’t. Like in your marriage–like in your relationship with Jesus. Write this one down–you don’t ever want the freshnesses, the excitement to leave your two most important relationships–the one with your spouse and the one with your Savior. Do whatever you need to do to keep the air in the balloon and the aroma in this bouquet called life.

While there is no magic formula for this I know it includes words and actions. Tell your spouse often and sincerely how much you love them. Try and serve up a regular serving of acts of kindness every day. And for Jesus–well, its not much different. Tell Him everyday how much you love Him and are grateful for Him. And then serve Him faithfully everyday too. Be sure He knows and others know just how much you care. If you ever since the excitement fading, be sure and do something–quickly. After all, marriages and Jesus both thrive in the arena of love. Depend on them and depend on Him. Let them know that you are leaning on them…because in their own way…they’ve got it.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in gratitude, life, Military memories, Scripture, thankful

Heroes All

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Now it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour. Then the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two. And when Jesus had cried out with a loud voice, He said, “Father, ‘into Your hands I commit My spirit.’ ” Having said this, He breathed His last.” Luke 23:44-46

It was June 6, 1944. It was a placed called Normandy, France. It was called Operation Overlord. It was certainly the most difficult, devastating, and deadly battle in Europe of World War II. It was dreaded and yet necessary. It was D-Day. On that day 160,000 Allied soldiers assaulted a 50 mile stretch of the Normandy coast of France. The Allied armada was composed of 700 warships and 2,500 landing craft. Amazingly, in the first six days, 326,000 men, 54,000 vehicles and 104,000 tons of material came ashore. By any measure it was massive.

The Majestic Princess docked in Le Havre, France and her passengers headed in several different directions. Many, seven packed busses, headed to Normandy to see first hand the site of this amazing display of courage. Normandy was the place chosen for the Allied forces to invade France and begin the process of ripping Europe from the grip of Hitler and his team of thugs. On that day, soldiers and airmen from the nations of  the United States, Britain, and Canada bravely went ashore and faced the worst Nazi Germany had to offer. Without doubt the hotbed of those battles were the beaches of Omaha and Utah–the landing zones entrusted to the men of the 1st United States Army consisting of the 1st, 4th and 29th Divisions. The deadliest was Omaha Beach where American forces suffered over 4,000 casualties. It was the bloodiest of the five landing sites on the Normandy coast on June 6th, 1944.

Many have tried to describe what happened over those days but all have fallen short. They say a picture is worth a thousand words but in this case it would take an album full of pictures to even begin to tell the story. I know for me, the most meaningful album would be filled with pictures of the American cemetery there at Normandy. The cemetery is filled with the graves of nearly 9,400 brave soldiers and sailors who fought during the battle of Normandy. Additionally, a great wall contains the names of 1,600 others missing and never found.

Imagine with me the acres and acres and rows upon rows of white crosses and stars of David each one marking the grave of a valiant warrior. All of them gave their all–the ultimate sacrifice of their lives. It has been well said that freedom isn’t free and this is one of those places that shouts this great truth. But this isn’t the only place and this wasn’t the only battle. The history of America is filled with battles where America offered up her sons and daughters for the cause of freedom. We must never allow that truth to disappear from our memories.

As great a cost and as great a battle all that represents there still remains that great battle that was fought on a Roman cross. As the brave men were savagely slaughtered on the beaches of Normandy, so the Son of Man was savagely slaughtered that Good Friday. They died so men, women, and children could live–He died so the whole world could live–eternally. I will never forget those hours I spent in Normandy, France and we should never forget what Jesus did for us on Calvary. The annals of military history are filled with the almost countless names of heroes and God’s Word is filled with the story of the Hero of Calvary–Jesus. He proclaimed that day, “I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in fear, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, love, Military memories, priorities, Scripture, thankful

Life, Death and Resurrection

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.” Ephesians 1:5

It was a difficult necessity. Like the Azores, I thought Le Havre (French for “The Port”) was just another port…but I was wrong. I guess I’m learning that few places are just places and few things are just things. Honestly, for us aboard the Majestic Princess, Le Havre was just a jumping off place to see both Normandy and Paris. But for the people who lived there–especially during World War II–it was more much more. Let me explain.

For centuries, Le Havre was one of the most important ports in all of France. That was especially true during World War II. After Hitler seized most of Europe, he instantly realized what an important prize this was for importing the supplies he needed and was a valuable home base for his navy. As the Allied forces prepared to invade France for the purpose of driving Hitler out and reclaiming it for the French people, two things occurred. Hitler determined to do whatever necessary to keep the port–even to the last man and the Allies were determined to do whatever necessary to take it from him.

In the leading up to D-Day, June 6, 1944 and for many weeks following, both air and ground forces assaulted the city and the port. The results were total devastation. You see, as a crucial port held by the German Kriegsmarine and 226th/245th Infantry Divisions, taking Le Havre was vital for supplying the Allied armies. It was the final major city in Normandy to be liberated. On September 5-6, 1944, devastating air raids killed thousands of civilians, injured over 75,000 others and destroyed over 12,500 buildings. Finally, on September 10-12, 1944, British and Canadian forces on the ground attacked in force which led to the Germans finally surrendering. Over 11,300 German soldiers were captured.

By now your saying, “Thank-you, Dewayne for the history lesson” but wait there is something to learn here. You might think that the French people where angry at what the Allied forces had caused. After all, the city was so totally destroyed that it had to be rebuilt from the ground up. There was no repairing–they couldn’t even attempt to rebuild the beautiful, old city. But wait–they weren’t angry. You see, they understood that what happened had to happen. If they were to be free from the German occupation, there would be a price to pay. You see, freedom always has a price. The price to the French people was huge but the price in lives for the Allied forces was also massive. We will talk more about that later.

Now for the big truth. You see, the price for our spiritual freedom was beyond calculation. The only way that we could be free from sin, the only way we could be united with our Heavenly Father was the death of God’s Son Jesus. There was no other way. Yet because He was willing to suffer and die–we can live and be free. And perhaps the most amazing thing is that God willingly sent His Son and Jesus willingly died on that cross. It was their plan–the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit–long before the first sin. Ephesians 1:5 says, “God decided in advance to adopt us into His own family by bringing us to Himself through Jesus Christ. This is what He wanted to do, and it gave Him great pleasure.” Simply amazing.

So in the life, death and resurrection of Le Havre we can see another story–the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. We can see that the price was so very great but somehow God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit counted us worth that price. And that really is simply amazing. This great truth is one of the reasons I know, no matter what, that they really do have it. Amen and Amen. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, Grace, life, priorities, Scripture, travel

Sabbatical Cruising

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Be careful to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy as the LORD your God has commanded you. You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.” Deuteronomy 5:12-14a

Sea days were slow days. On our epic journey aboard the Majestic Princess we not only crossed the Atlantic Ocean but we also sailed the entire way around the British Isles. In the process we spent several days in different ports but a lot of days we just sailed…or cruised. Cruising is one of the best things in life. When we are at home, we cruise down country roads and byways in our red Mustang Convertible. Imagine a warm, sunny late afternoon watching the Southern Illinois landscape slip by at, oh, about 25 miles per hour. Imagine the landscape spotted with a couple of dozen deer. That, friends, is good stuff.

Now imagine a day at sea. You can sleep in or get up early–your call. Someone has made your coffee and it is waiting for you. You go and find a seat next to a large window and watch God’s giant swimming pool, the Atlantic, slide by.  Finally you eat breakfast, which someone cooked for you, you go and exercise in the gym and then find a lounge near the railing and just relax. We would have our quiet time, read a book or just nap. Eventually it would time to eat again…and we would…and we did. That, friends, is why sea days were slow days. And, that dear friends is a pretty good picture of something in the Bible called Sabbath rest.

While a large chunk of the world knows how to do this well, we Americans just don’t. It seems that an American that knows how to do Sabbatical rest is as rare as a unicorn. In almost every port we stopped at, street side cafes would be filled with people drinking tea, coffee or something else, chatting and relaxing. You could almost sense their stress pooling at their feet. Why is it that we Americans are so bad at Sabbatical rest? I do believe we somehow pour our value, our self worth, into a mold that requires us to always be doing something.

Well, here’s some big news. God knew exactly what He was doing when He gave us a day, a whole day, to rest. He even put it into the big ten.  Remember the one that says, “Be careful to remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy as the LORD your God has commanded you. You are to labor six days and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God.” You can read it for yourself in Deuteronomy 5:12-14a.

It seems that this command is the only one from the Big Ten that was allowed to stand in the New Testament.  Wow…it is that important. God designed us to rest, to occasionally, cruise. We need that pause button because we were designed to enjoy Sabbatical rest. Now it doesn’t have to be a particular day but it does need to happen. Not only do we physically need it, it also teaches us to depend on God.

So there you go…you need to take time to cruise…to rest. I know this sounds crazy and perhaps totally out of date but trust me…no, better…trust God. Find time, make time to enjoy a cup of coffee on the back patio, a ride around enjoying tonight’s sunset or maybe just talking with those you love the most. Oh, and be sure that includes the one who’s always got this.  Bro. Dewayne  

Posted in forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, love, Scripture

Christ the King–Christ the Bridge

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 John 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth and Life and no one can come back to the Father except by Me.”

On the ninth sea day, we finally found ourselves docked in Europe. Our second port of call was Lisbon, Portugal. After so many days at sea it was good to see land for the second time in a lot of days. Lisbon is a beautiful old European city with too many hills (pant, pant) and several large and majestic cathedrals. We took a tour of the city but quite honestly it didn’t seem to leave a large impression on my wife Judy and I–that is until it was time to leave.

When you cruise, at the sail-away from each port of call, there is always a large gathering of passengers on the upper decks. There is always something special about the sail-away. Usually the captain blows the ship’s horn and often there is a gathering on the pier to see us off. It is quite stirring…especially in the case of Lisbon. As we slowly moved away from the dock, we edged our way toward the open sea via a large channel. As we sailed away, two things caught, captivated our attention. 

The first was a bridge that crossed the channel. What made this bridge so special is that it was designed exactly, well, almost exactly like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. In fact, it was made by the same company that made the one there. It was, well, majestic. When we were in San Francisco, we drove over the Golden Gate and that was pretty amazing. But to sail under this bridge, its twin, was equally so. Now for the second thing.

Located on the left side of the channel on the top of a small mountain was a statue of Christ with His arms outstretched. The statue is in fact called “The Sanctuary of Christ the King.” It is a massive 360 feet tall and its outstretched arms measure 92 feet finger tip to finger tip. It appropriately commands the view of the entire area. So, imagine with me. First, you see the massive bridge spanning the great distance from shore to shore and then your eye is captured by Christ the King. And instantly the connection is made.

You see, in our human state, we are separated from God. The great divide is caused by the fact that God is holy and we are not. The Bible clearly states that all of us…all of us…have sinned and therefore separated from God. We needed a bridge, a way back to God and that way is Christ the King. Jesus said it best in John 14:6, “I am the Way, the Truth and Life and no one can come back to the Father except by Me.” Jesus left the splendor of heaven and died on a cross so that we could come home to God. Amazing.

As we sailed out the channel, when the angle was just right, you could see both the bridge and Christ the King and that is what I most remember about Lisbon–Christ the King is the bridge–in a way they are one in the same. So as I write this, I am grateful for that sail-away on that day from that port. I am grateful for a God who loves me so much, for a Savior that loves me that much and for the precious Holy Spirit who too loves me that much. I am grateful too that no matter what–Christ the King–well, He’s got this–always.  Bro. Dewayne 

Posted in Family, gratitude, heaven, life, Scripture, thankful, travel

Look Up–Look Around

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Everything on earth will worship You; they will sing Your praises, shouting Your name in glorious songs. Selah” Psalm 66:4

As we transversed the Atlantic Ocean on our great 50th wedding anniversary adventure I was once again reminded just how big and awesome our God is. The Bible tells us in Psalm 19:1-2 “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display His craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak; night after night they make Him known.” I love those verses. Last night my wife Judy and I were sitting out with our neighbors (remember when you used to do that?) and we began to look up and were all amazed as the stars slowly began to show themselves. It was amazing. While I was looking one way, Judy was looking another and she was treated to see a beautiful falling star. Wow.

I spoke out loud to no one in particular that God has placed and named each star. One of the kids spoke up and said, “How can He do that?” Well, the answer is simply that He is God and He can do anything. Now, back to the cruise. We quickly discovered that in the middle of the ocean that stars can and do showoff…each one declaring God’s greatness. But after sailing for several days and not seeing land I realized something else. You don’t have to look up to see the glory of God–really all you have to do is look around. You see the Bible also says in Psalm 66:4, “Everything on earth will worship You; they will sing Your praises, shouting Your name in glorious songs.” 

Imagine with me looking in every direction and seeing the vast ocean. On some days it was relatively calm…on others, quite the opposite. But whether it was calm or rolling, it was big, really big, and it all said that if God created this big ocean, He must be really, really, really big and He is. The last word in Psalm 66:4 is the word, “Selah.” It is a Hebrew word that implies the idea that right there you need to pause. Someone once said it is saying, “There what do you think of that?”

Our first port of call was a group of islands in the middle of nowhere that belonged to God but were claimed by Portugal. At first I thought we were only stopping there to get some gas–nothing more–nothing less. I soon found out that I was wrong. You see, the Azores are called the  “Hawaii of Europe” and the reason was soon evident. While the islands were diverse as a Baptist church, the one we stopped at was simply beautiful. It was massively green and tropical plants were everywhere. We were treated to seeing quaint small towns, a beautiful botanical garden and perhaps best of all, a place where boiling water spewed out of the earth sending steam rushing into the air.

So the Azores was so much more than a gas stop, it was a wonderful testimony of the greatness of God. It was a place where God had once again showed off His power and creativity. It was a spotlight of His love and grace for us. So, tonight be sure and look up and see what God has done up there but today, well today, be sure and look around and see just how great our God is. If you do, you will soon realize that no matter what you are going to bump into, you have the assurance that, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne