Category: Grace

Posted in Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, priorities, Scripture, Trials, wisdom

A Really Bad Idea

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.” Psalm 103:8

It was just a bad idea. Each of us have had times when we do something and from the get-go we know it is just a bad idea.  Remember the story of me at age seven trying to ride a 26-inch bicycle?  And these bad ideas usually bear the fruit of bad endings.

I have a good friend who manages a local restaurant.  For a long time, we would get together once a week and have breakfast at the restaurant.  Well, I was (and am) famous for ordering different things for breakfast.  One was the delicious “preacher stack.”  It consisted of a slice of toast, an over-easy egg, a slice of cheese, a couple of slices of soft bacon, a small serving of hash browns (cooked crispy, of course), a second egg and finally the crowning touch, a smattering of gravy. For variety the hash browns were sometimes replaced with grits. Now, let me tell you, that was “shoot that thing” good. I do believe I might be the Rembrandt of breakfast.  Sometimes.

You see, one time, about midway through the fall season, I got an idea.  Unfortunately, it was a very bad idea.  Now the problem with bad ideas is that sometimes they look good from one angle and horrible from the other.  Well, this time I looked from the wrong angle.  I told my friend, “Jeremy, I have an idea.  I think I want to try chili and eggs for breakfast in the morning.”  Now being the good friend that he was, he tried and tried to get me to change course.  But at that time and from that angle it really sounded good.  The key word there is “sounded.”

The next morning Jeremy cooked up a batch of chili and I was served chili and eggs for breakfast.  The first and second bite wasn’t too bad—weird, but not too bad.  From there it went downhill and by the time I was done—I was done.  I felt like I had swallowed a 12-pound bowling ball and that bowling ball stayed with me all day.  In fact, it was a couple of days before I felt half normal.  It was a very, very bad idea.  He tried to warn me, but no.  Oh boy, just the thought of chili and eggs makes my eyes cross.

Well, a while later I had a nice, innocent bad idea.  I usually walk in the mornings, but Judy and I decided to walk in the afternoon.  That was ok—unusual, but ok.  And that wasn’t a bad idea.  We were going to walk on the bike trail so I thought I would wear an old pair of trail running shoes I had in the closet.  “Why?” Well, I liked the way they looked, and I liked the way they laced up (they had these cool speed laces) but that’s where the love affair ended.  They weren’t very comfortable, and the inside of the heel had long lost its padding. All that was left was a crater where the padding used to be surrounded by rough edges. Everything said, “Don’t wear those shoes.” Well, you know what I did. I wore the shoes anyway and it was indeed a very bad idea.

I had planned on only walking a couple of miles but ended up doing 3.6. Well, at about the 1.8 mile turn around point I noticed that the back of my left heel was starting to burn—to hurt.  Remember the padding that was missing? Well, those rough edges that remained were now slowly eating into my heel.  And with every step it got worse.  I was almost two miles from the car, and it hurt, and it hurt, and it hurt.  I found myself saying over and over again, “This was a really bad idea.”  The problem was I realized it just a little too late.  Well, about 10,000 steps later, I got back to the car and the shoes, and I parted company—forever.  Even sitting there, I said it again, “That was a really bad idea.”

Well, in a while Judy got back to the car from her walk.  As she came over to where I was sitting and noticed I had my shoes off. She made a comment about resting.  I said, “Judy, do you remember the time I ate the chili and eggs?”  She said, “Well, yes, but what has that got to do with today?”  I said, “That was a really, bad idea and wearing these stinking shoes today was a really bad idea.” To make matters worse, when we had started walking, I commented how much I liked the shoes and she remembered that.  “But Dewayne, I thought you said you liked them?”  Well, I liked the way they looked, I liked the way they laced up, but boy, I didn’t like the way they felt after walking.  And trust me—that outweighed all the looks and all the cool laces.

Well, I wanted to tell you this story for a couple of reasons. First, don’t, do not, eat chili and eggs.  What it does to your insides requires the intervention of the EPA. If you eat chili and eggs, be prepared for a period of quarantine. Be prepared to camp in the “valley of the shadow of death.” It. Is. A. Bad. Idea.  And if you are going to walk, remember to pick your shoes based on what is important not what is intriguing or flashy.  At about the two mile point you will thank me. Trust me, I know.

One thing that I really like about the Bible is that it is filled with people just like me.  People who didn’t always listen to God and people who ate chili and eggs and wore the wrong shoes.  Real, live, people who didn’t always make the best choices. The thing I like about God is that He is so loving, patient and kind.  Even when Adam and Eve ate “chili and eggs” in the garden and then wore the “wrong shoes” to cover it all up—He still loved them and still provided a way for them to be forgiven.  They tried to do it their way, but God didn’t throw them under the bus and start over. And guess what?  He doesn’t throw us under the bus either, and I am thankful. When we come to Him with our “chili and eggs,” “wrong shoes,” whining and complaining about how we got the “blisters” in our life, He is patiently waiting.

He is always there for us…bad ideas and all.  You will find the Whisper whispering warnings, “don’t got there,” and encouraging you to “go the right way” and “do the right things”.  That’s just the way He is.  You know He could have carried me back to the car that day, but I think there was a lesson that I needed to learn and a story I needed to tell. I finished the walk limping a little, but also a little wiser.  As I sat there resting in Him, I decided no more chili and eggs and no more worn out, flashy shoes. And the next time I find myself two miles from the car—well, I’ll just remember, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials

“Eat Mor Chikin”

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

The Lord does not delay His promise, as some understand delay, but is patient with you, not wanting any to perish but all to come to repentance.”  2 Peter 3:9

It should be every church’s goal.  Y’all know I am partial to food.  We have been friends for a long time.  I think I was probably one of those kids that was born with a craving for homemade mac and cheese with fried chicken.  “Hey mom, can we skip the milk and go straight for the grease and carbs?”  Yup, sounds like me.  One of my favorite fast-food places is Chick-fil-A. Have you ever noticed something unusual about this place?  Well, let me help you…there is always a line.  Period.

It seems that no matter what time you go by to grab your chicken fix, people are lined up and being served.  If you have ever been to one, you also know they are a very unusual place.  First, the food is really good.  Their chicken, mac and cheese, milk shakes, waffle fries—even their salads are off the scale.  Now about their salads…I must take that on word of mouth since I avoid anything green! Every time I see the commercial for their creamy mac and cheese, I start drooling.  One day, when the line isn’t insanely long, I’m going to get some.  But the bottom line is that they make sure they have something to sell, and they sell lots.

The big thing…even bigger than their food…is their service.  I have never seen a friendlier team of employees.  Every person who works for them seems to be genuinely glad to work there and genuinely glad that I stopped in.  Every time I have stopped, I have felt like I was the most important customer in the place.  One time at a Chick-fil-A at the airport the person who waited on me wasn’t quite up to par, but truth be known they were still far and above most places. And it doesn’t stop there.

Remember I mentioned those long lines?  It is just amazing how organized they are in processing their customers’ orders. In the drive thru, they have employees out in the parking lot taking orders even before the customers get to the window.  They value their customers’ time and prove it by making sure they don’t have to wait any longer than necessary. By the way, it is a Christian based company, and a lot of their business principles are straight from the Bible. People first. And have you noticed that they choose to be closed on Sundays?  Do you know why?  God first.  Love God…love people.

All of this caused me to wonder something.  What if, we, the Church, did business like Chick-fil-A?  What if we “marketed” our message like they market their products?  What we have to offer is the best news ever—the Gospel or Good News that broken people can be healed—that forgiveness is available for any man, woman or child who is willing to place their trust in what Jesus has done.  I mean that is valuable.  Chick-fil-A believes in their product, but do we really believe in ours?  I think we should.

What if every person who came through our doors felt like they were the most important person in the building?  What is every person felt they were valued—both by God and by the church regulars?  You can take it to the bank that God indeed values every person regardless of race, social status, or sin list.  He is not willing that any should perish but that all should be redeemed.  It says it in the Book.  Perhaps the most important working team (think committee) in the church is the hospitality team.  Their job—to make every person feel welcomed, accepted, and wanted.  Yup…that would work.

Well, I do like a good chicken sandwich and a good helping of mac and cheese, but I love the way these folks do business.  I do think it should be the goal of every local church to love God…love people and make it obvious that is what we are about. The God we serve is worthy of more than “good enough” …He deserves our very best. Why? Because He gave His very best for us.  He is for us and through Him anything and everything within His will and purpose is possible.  In these days we have an opportunity to show off our love for God and others.  It can happen…it should happen…because He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

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

Satisfied

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

It was the strangest thought but somehow it made sense.  One morning a couple of years ago, I was doing my walking thing.  It was a brisk morning with a strong wind and cloudy skies and just for fun…a light rain.  It was one of those mornings the treadmill probably made sense, but I didn’t listen.  I turned in a good time…not that I desired to go fast, but I desired to get back to my car.

In an attempt to take my mind off the wind, rain and cold, I was mulling around some ideas about a message series I was teaching at the church where I pastor.  It was called “taking care of business” and carries the idea that as Jesus followers or as Jesus churches we are called to do and not just talk.  We are called not to just believe, but to act. Our lives and the life of our church need to show a spiritual profit or, like any other “business” we will go out of business.  And that’s when it happened.

Here’s what came to my mind.  From out of the blue, or in this case gray, came, “Your neighbor’s car will only look attractive to you when you are unhappy with yours.”  Now keep in mind the statement has nothing to do with my car or my neighbor’s car—it has to do with being content with what you have.  You see, it is often easy for the grass on the other side of the fence to look enticing. Other things, including other gods, all of a sudden, look better. It can be true in many things but more importantly it is true in our faith.

We live in a world of constant flux and when that is true, it can impact anything and everything.  We grow discontented and emotionally and spiritually disoriented.  We start looking for something, anything really, to make us feel better or good.  And too often we look in all the wrong places.  The contentment satisfier is, wait for it, Jesus. Never ever confuse that with anything else…including church.

If you want to be content, if you want to be happier, learn to be grateful for what you have instead of grumpy because of what you don’t.  Remember that the things that matter aren’t bought in a store they come from meaningful relationships.  They are born in delivery rooms and discovered on a hilltop as the sun goes down in a beautiful array of colors. They are the products of dreams and the anchor of our hope.  They are the love notes from a loving God who takes the time to say, “I love you” every single day.  You see the Bible guy Paul, and probably sitting in some difficult place said, “Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” I think He discovered that gratitude doesn’t depend on circumstances—it depends on perspective.  Hmmm.

So why not today, make a list and check it twice of all the things God has allowed to come into your life.  Instead of longing for what is not there, why not grasp what is already within your reach?  Listen to the Great Giver as He tells you how special and blessed you are—where you are—and assures you that “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, missions, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Cotton Candy and Sin

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

Her name is Maggie, and she likes to serve. Our church has a ministry that involves a Fun Foods trailer filled with all kinds of good things…things like snow cones, popcorn and best of all—cotton candy. And while popcorn and snow cones are relatively safe, those brave enough to make cotton candy are going to get messy.  Very messy. This past Saturday, our church took the trailer to a fall festival and soon we were set up and ready for business.  When my wife Judy and I got there, Maggie was already making cotton candy, so we decided to join her team.

Maggie was the one actually running the machine, I was the one that opened the bags and held them open while she put the cotton candy in the bag and Judy was the one who put on the twist ties.  We were quite the team but let’s be clear—Maggie was the cotton candy queen—clearly this was not her first rodeo. We soon settled into the groove, and we were slinging cotton candy left and right.  I even got to go and be the front man and encourage people to have some.  I kinda stretched the truth and told them it was sugar free, oh, and that their doctor said it was ok.  I confessed later.

Like I said, we were slinging cotton candy left and right and it soon became apparent that so was the machine.  When we started the process Maggie was clean as a whistle but the longer she worked, the pinker she became.  Let me explain. We were making pink cotton candy and I quickly learned that cotton candy attracts cotton candy. If a little is stuck to you then very soon some more will stick to that little bit and that is what happened to Maggie.  Well, before the shift was over Maggie was very pink. In fact, she was almost covered with a layer of sweet, pink hair.  It was pretty amazing, and it taught me a valuable lesson—not about cotton candy but about sin.

You see, just like a little cotton candy stuck on you attracts and grabs more of the same, so it is with sin.  When we allow a little sin to get stuck in our lives, if we are not careful, soon we can become a sin magnet.  Sin attracts sin and while it was obvious with Maggie and the cotton candy—that is not always the case with sin.  We need to learn to be alert—to keep an eye out—and when we spot something—have the wisdom to do something right there and then.

Well, in Maggie’s cotton candy world she didn’t have time to stop and remove the small pieces that stuck to her in the beginning, so she ended up pink.  But when it comes to sin—take the time, make the time to solve the problem by removing the sin from your life. Trust me—that is one thing you won’t regret. It is easier to deal with a little sin than to allow it to stick around (no pun intended) and grow. If you need any help, God is always ready and willing to help us. In fact, He is the sin removing and forgiving expert. Just ask and He will be glad to help.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, Scripture, thankful, travel, Trials

Welcome to the Buffet

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” John 10:10

It’s not for everyone…and I didn’t think it was for me.  You see, several years ago Judy and I decided to take the plunge and go on a cruise.  I always wrote cruises off because the thought of being in that small of an area with 4,000 of my closest friends just didn’t sound appealing.  Well, for whatever reason, I finally said yes, and I am so glad that I did.  We had a great time.  If you regularly read Grits, you know we love to travel.  Well, take that, plus good food and entertainment and the fact that somehow it just didn’t seem crowded and well, it was just fun.

I had always heard that the food was plentiful and incredible, and it really was.  All you want and all included.  When you bought your ticket, all the perks were thrown in and I was determined to make sure I took advantage of them all.  They say the average person gains like five pounds on a cruise and I am pretty sure I can testify to that.

Now let me ask you a question.  Wouldn’t it have been crazy if I chose not to take advantage of all that had already been paid for?  Would it be crazy if I had bought cans of sardines and cases of crackers on board to eat.  Well trust me, it would have. The crazy part is that too often we ignore the wonderful blessings that God gives us as His children.

I received an email years ago and it told how Bill Bright, a great teacher and leader, used to tell the story of a man who carefully saved his money until he was finally able to travel on a beautiful cruise ship. It was all he could do just to save enough to buy his ticket. Thinking he wouldn’t have enough money to buy meals in the ship’s fine dining room, he decided to take along some cheese and crackers for food.

For several days he sat in his cabin, watching the stewards go by with carts full of luscious lobster, prime rib, fresh fruits, and vegetables. Finally, he couldn’t stand it any longer. He reached out and grabbed one of the stewards by the arm and begged him for a plate of food. “Please, help me. I’ll go to work; I’ll scrub the deck. I’ll do anything to get something to eat. My cheese and crackers are turning stale, and I’m starving to death.” “But, sir,” the steward replied, “don’t you know? Your food comes with your ticket.”

Sadly, many Christians live their life the way this man did on the cruise ship. Rather than embracing and receiving all that God has for them they become satisfied with “cheese and crackers,” living off the scarcity of the world when they could be dining on steak and baked potatoes. Either out of stubbornness or just a lack of knowledge, they don’t allow the Holy Spirit to take control of their lives and produce the luscious fruit of the Spirit–love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. They chose spiritual poverty over abundant life and scarcity over the joy of enjoying the abundance of their Dearest Daddy.

I’ve discovered that it is too easy to slip into leanness when God wants us to have so much more.  And, no, I’m not speaking of things.  Things are just things.  I am speaking of the richness of knowing Creator God—up close and personal. Too often I’ve been satisfied at times with the bare bones of salvation—a hope of heaven for sure but walking into walls in this life—afraid and seemingly alone. The best day of your life is the day you trust Jesus and second best…well, it is finally figuring out that He is with me and will be with me all the way.  It is figuring out that He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Three Days, Day 3

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Catch the foxes for us—the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—for our vineyards are in bloom.” Song of Solomon 2:15

It seems that God has a sense of humor after all.  Day two was a bust.  As bad as I wanted and needed everything to go right…it went wrong.  Mornings are my most productive time and it quickly became obvious that Monday morning and afternoon were not going to be productive…except to fuel and feed my frustration.  Before it was all over the circumstances, of which none were life threatening, none were going to matter in eternity, none were going to change the world, had left me wondering what God was up to.  I just missed the part that He had enrolled me in the school of faith.

Tuesday, day three of “Three Days” began better—not because anything had changed but maybe, just maybe I had.  I got up and prepared the usual way.  Coffee, check. God time, check. Breakfast, check. Before I knew it, it was time to head to the office and see what God had in mind.  Something told me it might be different. When I arrived at the office, made a cup of coffee—first priority—and restarted my Apple computer for what seemed like the twentieth time.  Hmmm. It seemed to be happier so naturally I was happier but happier doesn’t mean the problem was gone.  I still had to do the one thing that started this fiasco—updating the church digital sign. I decided to try something different.

About two months ago, I had installed the software that was supposed to talk to the sign on another computer but no matter what I did, it simply wouldn’t talk to the sign. I called the expert and no matter what he did it still wouldn’t talk to the sign.  We gave up and I turned it off…until that morning…the morning of day three.  Well, figuring I had nothing to lose, I turned the PC on, opened the sign talking software and guess what? They started talking.  Like two old friends they started chatting like nothing was ever wrong. And just like that the thing that I had worried and fretted over was in the rearview mirror.  Just like that the one thing that I really needed to do was, wait for it, possible.  I really couldn’t believe it.  There was no explanation but one.  God not only heals bodies and creates universes—He works on computers.

I hope you are smiling right now because when all this happened, I was.  I wrote to the computer expert guy and told him the problem was solved and I thought it was a miracle.  He agreed.  So, the bottom line is God proved that He is concerned about the little things that cause frustration and stress. He also proved that even when we are wondering what “He did to us,” He quietly and mysteriously works for us. The rest of the first part of day three I merrily pressed the keys and fed data to the church sign for the next couple of months.  Yay.

I am glad that God granted me these three days…even day two…the less than trophy day.  That frustrating day set me up to appreciate the miracle day.  God used my frustration from day two to fertilize and grow the wonder of day three. In frustration on day two I said, “God why did you do this to me.”  At the end of day three I was saying in gratitude, “God, why did you do this for me” because I am sure I didn’t deserve it. I hope this made sense today because it was very cool.  I learned once again that God is God, and I am not and that He is good all the time and if I am willing to trust and wait, He is willing to see me through.

So, that is the story of the three days…three days that I am sure all of us at one time or another have both enjoyed and endured. It is a story of how it doesn’t aways take a major disaster to derail us on the tracks of life.  Sometimes, too often, it is just the little things gone south.  Sometimes the little things are more difficult to manage than the monsters that ravage us.  It reminds me of one of those good verses in the Old Testament.  It says, remember, it isn’t the elephants but the little foxes that spoil the vines and the harvest. I’m just glad that He is a patient loving Father who doesn’t grow weary with my groans or my whines.  No, instead the Whisperer whispers, “It’s ok child, don’t worry, big or small, “I’ve got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, missions, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful

Three Days, Day 1

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For this is how God loved the world: He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16

They say that God works in mysterious ways.  So one week God showed up in three very different ways on three very different days.  Now if you aren’t a God follower you might write this off as chance and circumstance but my life and faith journeys won’t let me do that.  Regardless, sit back and enjoy the story.

So if you are a Grits reader you know that my day job is leading a church.  I am the senior (by position and by age) pastor at a local church so God plays a big part of my walkabout life—both at church and otherwise.  Well, on this particular week it all started on Sunday.  It was a special day because we had a guest visiting our church who works in another part of the world.  She is a good friend of my wife Judy and me.  We have visited her and served with her several times where she serves. So we had her share about her work at a brunch we held and also in both of our services.  It was good.

Our worship services consist of two big parts—the music part and the Word part.  The Word part is when I get to share with the folks both in the room, on the radio and Facebook Live.  I love it…when it goes right. Smile.  Well, this particular day, The music part was just awesome and the sermon came together in a way that only God could orchestrate.  He was good.

We also gathered our shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child.  If that doesn’t ring a bell just google it and you will discover one of the most purposeful things you can do. Basically you fill a shoebox with kid’s stuff and then drop it off at a collection point.  Samaritan’s Purse will ship the box (about 12 million of them) around the world to make some child’s day.  It is awesome.  Well, that day we collected our boxes, all 519 of them, and the climax was our kids marching in carrying a bunch of them.  It was very good.

So, when I was giving some closing comments at the end of the service, I told the folks that this was a “trophy Sunday.” What I meant was that it was the kind of day that you put in the special part of your brain where you put memories that you don’t want to forget.  Just like a trophy reminds you of a special event, so day was one we should keep safe because one day, someday, you just might need to be reminded that God is indeed good.

You see, not everyday is a trophy day.  Not everyday is going to be a cloudless and sunny day. There is going to be day’s that make you wonder “what in the world was God thinking?”  It may be one of those days when you think “how could a good God every allow something like this happen.”  It may be one of those days that rub you wrong…like a cheap, scratchy wool sweater.  We all have them, don’t we?  When one rolls around, you simply go to your trophy shelf and remember that God is good and even that is bigger than it sounds.  You see God doesn’t just do good…He is good.  And that is true even when our world goes south.  And sometimes it will.

The biggest trophy on my trophy shelf is a bloodied, Roman cross.  It is where Jesus died a sacrificial death…not for His benefit but for our’s.  His death that day paid the price for the sin, the messes, the brokenness of an entire world.  And God said if we would believe that what He did and choose to follow Him, we could have His love on our trophy shelf forever.  I know in today’s world that sounds hokey but trust me, it is anything but.  Go ahead check it out, check Him out.  It is a trophy worth having. One of the best known verses in the Bible is John 3:16.  It simply says that God loved the lot of us—all of us—so much He allowed His only Son to die so that anyone who believed in Him, could live forever.  Like I said, check it out.  Hey, watch Grits in the coming days for part two of “Three Days.” It is a story that gives weight to the fact that, “He’s got this.” See you then. Bro. Dewayne

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

Just Like Magic

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Then Elisha prayed and said, “O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.” So the Lord opened the eyes of the young man, and he saw.” 2 Kings 6:17

Just like magic…there it was. So, a long time ago, you know, back in the mid-eighties, a “thing” was going around.  The bottom line was you were supposed to look at this picture that seemed to be a picture of really nothing and if it was your lucky day, suddenly, a 3-D image would appear.  It was crazy.  I remember one Sunday afternoon we were at a friend’s house, and I was staring at this large picture like crazy. And then it happened. Boom.  A 3-D picture just jumped off the page.  I remember shouting, “I see it, I see it” and just about that time—it was gone.

A couple of days ago, I received an email, and it is generally full of interesting tidbits and the like. Well, it said that there was an arrow in the FedEx logo.  Well, I certainly had never seen one, so you know I had to go and look.  And…I did.  I Googled FedEx and clicked on images and there were tons to see.  I looked and no arrow.  I looked again and still no arrow.  I was just about to think that the email writer person was jerking my chain and then it happened.

Between the “E” and the “X” there was perfect, plain as the nose on your face arrow. I was and still am amazed at how I didn’t see it and then “bam” I did.  And the cool part is that once you see it, you cannot “unsee” it.  Trust me when I see the FedEx logo the first thing that grabs my attention is the arrow.

It made me wonder how many wonderful things surround us every day and we simply don’t see them.  How many miracles has the Dearest Father placed in our world and for whatever reason, we just look right past them.  The answer, of course, is to make it a point to start being intentional in our looking for them. I am sure I never would have seen the arrow if someone had told me to look.

As you journey today, let me encourage you to intentionally look for the miracles and blessings scattered around the landscape of your life.  Trust me, look intentionally and you will see them. If you need a little help, just ask and the One who made it all will make them apparent.  He loves it when we look, and He loves it when we know that “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in birthday, Family, fear, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Fleas…Another Story of Favor

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” 1 Thessalonians 5:18

Can God use fleas? A few days ago, I ran a story about Corrie ten Boom and fleas. Corrie was a holocaust survivor and she told how she learned to thank God for the fleas that infested her barracks.  The fleas were so bad that the German officers refused to enter which allowed the women to be at least partially free from their harassment. Well, turns out that the Chappell part of the Taylor tribe has a small flea story of our own.

So, really, through nobody’s fault, the Chappell house had a flea problem.  Gratefully these unwanted guests stayed in the basement.  Well, they tried everything from sprays to bombs and of course collars and pills for their pets.  Nothing seemed to work. Finally, someone had the idea to call an exterminator to see what they could do.  So Terminix was called for an estimate, and they got the job.

As the story goes, my grandson Taylor has been taking up riding skateboards.  It’s only been a few weeks but during that time he has gotten pretty good.  For his birthday, his mom and dad wanted to get him a better board. So, when the guy came by from Terminix to give the estimate, somehow the conversation turned to skateboarding and it turns out this guy used to be a semi-pro rider.  It also turned out that he really likes to help kids learn and become more involved in boarding.

So, guess what? He offered to give Taylor a used but in great condition board. How cool is that?  A few days later, when it came time for Taylor’s birthday, he had a cool board with all the good accessories—including, thankfully, some great protective gear.  He was one happy camper. Not only did we recognize this was God working through circumstances to give him a special blessing, but Taylor also recognized God’s hand of blessing in his life. It was special to hear him pray thanking God for his skateboard and the man.

So, what about fleas? Well, without the fleas we wouldn’t have called Terminix and without Terminix we wouldn’t have had the semi-pro board dude and without the semi-pro board dude there wouldn’t have been a free, cool board for Taylor’s birthday.  How about that. If you wait and follow the trail so often it goes back to a Dearest Daddy who is always working for our good and His glory. So, once again, thank you God for your incredible favor and thank you once again for proving that “You got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful

Just Like That

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” Psalm 119:103

It happened just like that.  Oh, it must have been 30 or more years ago.  I was a young buck in my middle thirties.  Just like now…I liked ice cream…a lot.  So, one day I was reading the latest Reader’s Digest.  In it was an article about food and it happened to mention something.  It said that if you put your ice cream in the microwave for about ten seconds, it would taste better and creamier.  Well, I said to myself, “If that will make my ice cream taste even better…sign me up.”  So, I tried it and guess what? It worked.  The idea is that the microwave, which kinda works from the inside out, would melt the ice crystals in the ice cream thus making it creamier.  Boom. I was a new devotee.  Just like that the way I enjoyed ice cream changed.  It is kind of odd when you are at someone’s house and you ask them to “nuke” your ice cream but, trust me, it is worth it.

Not quite as far back, I was having lunch with a friend of mine.  I explained to him when I woke up it seemed to take forever for me to really be awake.  Now, granted, I wake up early…really early.  It is not uncommon for me to crawl out of bed at 4.30 am so you might say, “Of course you’re still sleepy…go back to bed for goodness’ sake.”  Well, that just wasn’t going to work.  My body was sending me conflicting messages…it was done sleeping but I was still sleepy.  Well, he suggested, “When you wake up and go to your man cave place, turn on every light in the room.”  He said that would send a clear message to my brain…it is time to open those peepers and start living.  Well, I tried it and boom…just like that…it worked.  So, now, every morning I wake up, head to my man cave place, turn on all the lights, and start my day…with a cup of coffee, of course. Amazing…just like that.

Then, oh, six or seven years ago, I was watching television and it was a food program.  I think it was the guy with spiky, blonde hair and the cool car.  He goes around and finds all these awesome places to eat.  Now that is a job I could get into. So, this guy ended up in a hotdog place.  The discussion soon turned to what do you put on a hotdog when you eat one.  Well, this place thought putting ketchup on a hotdog was the same as the unpardonable sin and a class ten felony.  The hotdog guy said, “The only thing you can put on your dog is mustard. You may put ketchup on your hotdog, but we won’t.”  Well, I had been a ketchup and mustard guy forever, but I said, “I need to try that…who knows?” So that very day I stopped putting ketchup on my hotdog and guess what?  They were right and just like that I changed and put only mustard on my dogs.  Period. None of that red stuff or that chopped up pickle stuff for that matter.  Just like that my dog life changed.

Looking back, I am amazed how three bits of information changed three areas of my life—just like that.  And, for whatever reason, there was no going back.  I was all in.  Well, you know me, sometimes I like to think.  I wondered, “How many other areas of my life could or would be changed if I had some information that would influence me?  I think there might be a lot.  And I have a feeling I know just the source of that needed information—the Bible.  God’s Word is filled…from front to back…with truth and it covers so many important areas of life—much more important than hotdogs and ice cream.  It makes me wonder what would happen if we took His Word at His Word and read it and applied it.  What would happen?  I think we would be impressed and amazed. And the best part, the writer of Psalms said, “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!”

So, the word for today is “nuke” your ice cream and drop the ketchup on your hotdog.  No, not really, it is bigger than that.  Why not spend some time in the Book of all Books and take what you read and let it change your life.  Who knows, it might even make your ice cream taste better.  One thing for sure is that you will quickly figure out that life just goes better when you learn and believe that “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne