Category: gratitude

Posted in Scripture, Grace, life, thankful, gratitude, prayer

Scars…And Hope

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes with the morning.”  Psalm 30:5b

It was one of those moments. My wife Judy and I were sitting on her brother’s patio in South Georgia waiting for the sun to make its appearance. Slowly but predictably the night slipped away and a new day began the birth process. As I looked out across the yard in the dusky gray of early morning, a pile of burnt trees, caught my eye. The trees were piled up the result of a hurricane that had swept through the area taking too many trees with it. About a year later, a power line fell and sparked a fire in the field igniting dried grass and the piles of dead trees. After a six hour battle, the forest service got the fire under control. Although time has passed, the scars from the fire remain.

A few minutes later, I glanced across the road and saw more scars. These weren’t caused by a fire but rather from the wind of the hurricane I mentioned earlier. These scars were different because the trees were different. These trees were younger pine trees and because they were thinner they weren’t blown over but instead left twisted and bent. Regardless…what remained was a field of scars–reminding all who looked of the night winds over one hundred miles an hour ravaged the area.

Scars are not confined just to nature, are they? They can be found everywhere including our lives and the lives of those around us. Sometimes the scars are physical but sometimes they are emotional. Regardless, as we bump into people we should remember that most of them bear the scars from past pain. The one glimmer of good about scars is that they remind us that the wound will eventually heal. A field ravaged by fire will give birth to new growth and new trees. A forest damaged by the wind will also eventually regrow. And gratefully, even the wounds of life will eventually heal leaving the past in the past.

That same morning that I saw the charred trees and the ones twisted by the storm, I saw something else. As the dawn grew and the night slithered away, the sun peeked over the horizon and beams of light filled the whole area. They bathed the green grass, the piles of charred trees and even the twisted forest. And, in that moment, I realized those beams were beams of hope. The dawn of that new day offered new hope. 

Here is the big truth for this story. Just as the beams of the sun brought hope, so the beams of the Son of God offers hope to those still struggling with the wounds of life. No matter the cause, no matter how intense the pain, Jesus can bring light and hope into the darkness. And, He doesn’t do it some of the time, rather He does it every time. So today as you look around or perhaps in your heart and you see the wounds and scars of life,  remember that Jesus is there, is here to help you heal. And remember this…each scar is a reminder that wounds do heal and that no matter what, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Grace, gratitude, Scripture, travel

Baby Glaciers

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Philip said, “Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied.” Jesus replied, “Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and yet you still don’t know who I am? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father!” John 14:8-9

They were little glaciers. On our recent journey to Alaska one of the highlights was an opportunity to see a real live glacier. To do that you have to travel up a rather narrow body of water. When you arrived at the end…there was the glacier. So, very early one morning, my wife Judy and I along with a couple of hundred crazy passengers gathered at the rail of our ship and watched as the beautiful scenery passed by. It was another of those moments that just confirmed my faith in our creator God. It was so obvious that what I was seeing was not an accident…rather it was the intentional act of a very intentional God.

Before long we began to see chunks of ice floating in the water. Their size was as varied as the colors in a rainbow. Some were small while others were large. And we were told that often what we could see on top of the water was just a sample of what was beneath. So we snapped picture after picture of these giant ice cubes. Before long we were told that because of the size of the ship (which was ginormous) we couldn’t get any closer to the glacier. So the captain of the ship began to spin the ship around in a circle so everyone would be able to see what little there was to see.

After a while, we slowly began to make our way up the channel of water making our way back to the bay. As we did a thought occurred to me. I realized that every one of those pieces of ice had broken off of the glacier. So while we couldn’t see the glacier itself we were seeing its “offspring.” So rather than grieving over what we couldn’t see, I decided we should be enjoying what we could see…and that changed everything. Really the only difference between the mother and her babies was their size. How about that? And then I realized something else–that is how it should be with us and Jesus. When people see us Jesus followers they should be able to see and realize that we are like Jesus.  We may be smaller in scope and size but we should be shining examples of who He is. Jesus once said to His disciples, “If you have seen Me, you have seen the Father.” Likewise, it should be said of us, “If you have seen us then you have seen the likeness of Jesus.

Let me encourage all you Jesus followers out there to live in such a way that people can recognize we have been with Jesus. The way we live, the way we act and the way we treat people should all show others Jesus. Like the smaller chunks of ice reflected the very nature and character of the glacier–let us reflect the very nature and character of our Savior. When we do then others will know that no matter what they face, this Jesus, the Son of God, can handle it. After all, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in fear, Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, travel

Life Savior

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 
“I, yes I, am the LORD, and there is no other Savior.” Isaiah 43:11

She didn’t want me to write this story. So we were in Georgia grand-dog sitting while our daughter and family were on a grand adventure of their own. They left Atlanta, headed to New York and then on to London. They needed someone to keep their dog Tubby, who happens to be the most important member of the family, and we volunteered. As it turned out this was only leg one of our own adventure. From their home in Cumming, a suburb of Atlanta, we are traveling to Valdosta to visit my wife Judy’s family before loading up and going to Santa Rosa beach and Topsail State Park. Finally, and everyone take a breath, we will stop by Anniston, Alabama to see my sister and then back to our home in the Burg.

We decided to take our electric bikes with us and as it turned out there were several trails for us to ride pretty close to our daughter’s home. On our first ride, which we could start and end from her house, we had an incident…or rather an accident. The way they designed the sidewalks was totally evil. As you crossed a road the sidewalk had an immediate hard turn and since they had high curbs (don’t ask me why) you either made the turn or you didn’t. Well, Judy didn’t and since I was right behind her when she stopped…I had to stop too. Well, I managed to stop but unfortunately I didn’t manage to get my feet down in time so I promptly fell over. It wasn’t pretty and it was almost a disaster. I fell flat on my back on the concrete sidewalk and the only thing that saved me from a serious head injury (besides the Lord) was my bike helmet. I whacked my head and for a brief moment in time everything went white but like a computer resetting, a moment later, everything came back into focus.

Of course Judy asked if I was ok and I, of course, said I had no idea…and I didn’t. Finally I was able to get to my feet and though dazed I was able to continue the ride. Well, Judy was really to sell the bikes but the bottom line was it was simply an accident. The second bottom line was I was very grateful that I was wise enough to wear my helmet. Again, there is no doubt it was a lifesaver. Thank you Lord. You see, too often people will say, “I won’t need a helmet” but you never know. I never planned to have a head whacking accident but guess what? I did.

So this story is not about the need to wear a helmet but I do hope I encouraged you too. The story is really about our need for a Savior. And, unlike my accident, we all need a Savior because we are all going to crash into eternity. And crash without Jesus is a crash that is unsurvivable. You may not need religion but you definitely Jesus. So before you take another ride–get a helmet. And before you live another day–ask Jesus to be your life Savior. That is a decision you will never regret. No matter the crash, you can rest assured that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful, Uncategorized

When The Old Becomes New

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” 2 Corinthians 5:17 

Just like that it went from blah to beautiful. So for the record I know very little about AI. I am not a member of the AI Fan Club and I really don’t use it very much at all. But I did have a bit of fun with it the other day.  Over the years you have read as I’ve talked a lot about gadgets and technology. Well, the other day, and maybe my wife Judy mentioned it, I decided to ask AI to rework an old photograph that I had. The program I used was Google Gemini. So here’s how it went. I had an old picture of my seven brothers and sisters. It was taken in 1974, at the cemetery, the day my Daddy was buried. It was one of a very few pictures I have of all my siblings–a simple snapshot and the effects of age had left it pretty faded.

I asked the Gemini program to “brighten, sharpen and cleanup” the picture. So, in less than a minute, the retouched photograph showed up on my screen and the results were pretty awesome. Don’t believe it? Well, check it out at the top of the post. Well, that caused me to start looking for some other photographs that were seemingly beyond enjoyment and ask Gemini to fix them up–and time and time again it did. The picture of me in uniform is of a change of command ceremony that I was a part of. Originally it was black and white and again from the 1980’s. Take a look and be amazed at what happened.

I just think all of that is pretty cool…to take something old and make it like new. And, did you know that is exactly what God does with us. In fact, He goes one step further. He doesn’t just make us look better…He makes us new. Paul, the guy in the Bible, wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:17, “This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” Wow…how amazing is that.

So do you think it is time for a fresh start…a new beginning? In fact, maybe you think you were born so wrong the first time you need a new one. No problem because Jesus is the Bible told a guy, “You must be born again.” When it comes to fresh beginnings and new births, well, no one can top God. It is cool that Gemini can retouch a photograph and do what it does but that way pales to what God can and is willing to do. So, go ahead and ask and He will give you that new beginning you’ve been longing for.  After all, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in food, gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful, travel

Cruising with the Captain

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

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

Have you ever taken a cruise? I’m not sure how it all began but a while back, my wife Judy and I decided to take a cruise. If I remember right it began in San Juan, Puerto Rico which was an adventure in itself. We then cruised to several islands in the Caribbean all the while “living” onboard this really big cruise ship. The bottom line?  It was an amazing experience. One of my big hesitations about this cruising thing was being in such a “small” area with 4,000 of my closest friends. As it turned out there was more than enough space for all of us. Through someone cooking our food, making our bed and dozens of other things, well, we joined the cruising fan club.

That was more than a few years ago and we have take more than a few additional cruises. Some of them were five days long and the longest was twenty-five days. And so far it seems we are always up for another one. It just seems to fit our niche especially now that we are retired. I was trying to come up with something to write about when I thought about this. In one aspect the cruise experience, along with the ship and crew, are somewhat like the “Shepherd” experience. Let me explain. Oh, and I’ll go ahead and ask for a little grace.

I know this is a stretch and that’s where the grace comes in. When we board the cruise ship, the cruise line who operates the ship and who hires and trains the crew has a goal…to meet all of our needs and a boat load (pun fully intended) of our whims. The whole cruise experience is designed to make us want to do it all over again. And not just do it all over again but to do it with them. Grace time! So, King David, the one in the Bible and who wrote Psalm 23 said, “The Lord is my Shepherd. I have everything I need.” So here is David writing this great analogy. In one sentence He gets it totally right. When God is our Shepherd…well, we don’t need anything else. He is the great Provider for His Kids. He loves us beyond limit and desires to meet our needs and, yup, a boat load of our desires or sometimes whims.

Ephesians 3:20 puts it like this. “Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us—to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” Well, there you go. He is a God who can’t stop loving and forgiving, who lavishes us with grace and mercy and who will never stop doing that and more. All of that is why my cruise analogy is pretty weak but I hope it makes us pause and think. So today, I hope you will choose to “cruise” through life with the Captain of your soul and if you can’t call Him that yet–why not do so right now? Once you do, you too can experience the joy of cruising with Him and knowing that, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in gratitude, life, Scripture, travel

Life at the Laundromat

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “When He went ashore, He saw a large crowd and had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd.” Mark 6:34a

I bumped into the real world at a laundromat. We were in Lincoln City, Oregon for the night and it was time to do something normal–we had to wash clothes. Back at 217 that meant a simple trip downstairs to the basement. There were our washer and dryer–again normal for a lot of people. But those were a couple of things that didn’t make our packing list so we had to go to a place we don’t normally go–the laundromat. So we gathered our dirty clothes, searched our GPS for the closest one and off we went. Now we had been to a laundromat before but trust me–it was a long time ago. We had just returned from our assignment in Germany with the Air Force and hardly anything in our house. Our bed and other furniture hadn’t arrived yet and we didn’t own a washer or a dryer.

The GPS led us to the right place and we once again gathered our clothes. We fed the change maker a five dollar bill and it gave us a hand full of quarters. We tossed our clothes in the washer and began the wait for the load to finish. There was a Family Dollar store close by so we wandered over there for a few minutes and then returned to the washing and drying Meca. I found a chair and waited for time to pass and it was then that I started seeing the people. I quickly noticed that the laundromat was an island of hurting people. I didn’t know their stories but it one thing seemed to be apparent. Each person wasn’t there because they wanted to be. They were there because they had to be. For whatever reason they didn’t have the means to wash and dry their clothes in the comfort of their homes.

The expression on their faces and body language all seemed to say, “My life is hard.” One lady who has struggling mentally was washing and drying the same clothes over and over again. A younger couple came in with their clothes stuffed in a bag and he leaned on a cane as he walked. There weren’t a lot of smiles but there sure seemed to be a lot of burdens.

I’ve always knew that my life is largely surrounded by healthy people with decent incomes and Jesus smiles. While I would see people with hard knock lives during my walk about life, I rarely entered their world. The laundromat helped me to not only see but to feel, to experience their world. It was an experience that I hope will lead me to love others and be more open and willing to help others. Let me encourage you to find an island of lostness and hurt and visit there. When you do you can thank God that you are just visiting but you can also ask Him to help you help them. That will probably make Him smile as He replies, “Don’t worry…I’ve got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

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

Stars and Satellites

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “I will praise you because I have been remarkably and wondrously made.” Psalm 139:14a

It was silently majestic. We were staying at an Airbnb that overlooked the Columbia River Gorge. This gorge is nationally known for its natural beauty. The Oregon side is steep and mountainous and the home of dozens of waterfalls. The Washington side is more of a steep slope that culminates at the top of a ridge hundreds of feet above the Columbia River. A home on top of that ridge was our home for a couple of nights. Our host had done a wonderful job of decorating the patio area with beautiful flowers in full bloom and comfortable furniture that included a full-length couch that begged to be stretched out on and a plush chair just made for slouching in. It was a little piece of heaven on earth.

Both nights we made it a point to spend the end of our day watching as the daylight slowly vanished and night came on. As darkness arrived—so did the stars with all their majesty. It wasn’t hard to feel and almost hear the heavens singing and shouting the glory of God. There was very little light pollution, so the stars seemed almost as bright as those we experienced in the West Africa wilderness. We were simply amazed. On the first night, I saw a falling star streak across the sky. Amazing.

As the last light of day gave way to the first darkness of night, we began to see something else. Mingled among the stars were satellites, dozens of them, streaking across the sky. While not nearly as amazing as the stars, they still managed to amaze us. Those small dots of reflected light were all shot into space on top of a rocket and traveling in space at 17,500 miles per hour. And that, Grits friends, is the point of the story. First, creation itself declares in unabashed boldness that there is a God and He is amazing in every aspect of His existence. Then comes part two.

I watched in silent amazement as those tiny dots zoomed across the sky. It was then I was reminded that they were created by men. That reminded me that we are not products of evolution but are marvelous creations of God. You see, monkeys and apes don’t make satellites or planes or cars or anything else like that. They may be smart, but they never have been, are not now, and never will be smart enough to do anything like that. Nope…it takes a fearfully and wonderfully made creation like us to do something like that–and even then it is way past amazing.

So as a gentle reminder, all creation reminds us of the great God who loves us, and all this amazing mechanical and technological stuff we’ve put together reminds us that we didn’t come from globs of jelly on a beach or a monkey swinging on a tree. We are indeed fearfully and wonderfully made. Don’t believe it? Just read His Book, and you will clearly see that from day one and before—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful, travel

And Now You Know!

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see His invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God.” Romans 1:20

So what in the world do y’all do?  Now that is a good question. Perhaps it all started with our twelve years in the Air Force and especially our three years stationed in Germany. The bottom line is my wife Judy and I have always loved to travel. As you can imagine that was a little difficult during my 42 years as a pastor. When your calendar is defined by Sundays, Wednesdays and holidays…well, it somewhat limited our travel opportunities. With that said, we both were so grateful for the mission trips the church allowed us to lead and for the vacation time the church granted us. I always chuckled when we would escape for vacation and someone would invariably say, “Is that preacher gone again?” And I guess we were.

So when retirement came we immediately embraced and enjoyed the freedom that it granted. And in the last two years, three months and twenty days we have travelled with abandon. Sometimes it was another continent, sometimes another country or state and sometimes, well, just another city. But wherever and whenever, we have enjoyed our journeys. And here is the part that is most important…at least for us. Our travels don’t take us to the biggest and best amusement parks…no it usually takes us to places were we can see and embrace this wonderful creation of God. Nothing thrills us more than to just look and see what God has done. Whether it is a majestic mountain, a cool mountain stream or a thundering waterfall, we see the handiwork of God. And we look, we ooh and awe, we smile and grin and we talk about it. 

This latest trip took us to the Alaskan Inner Passage and several small towns along the coast. It  also took us to and through the Olympic National Park where we saw Hurricane Ridge and the Hoh Rainforest. We followed the Washington Coast and drove over to the Columba River Gorge where we saw waterfalls that were so tall they seemed to fall straight from heaven. We laid in a backyard and just looked at the stars and the satellites as they raced across the sky.  We even saw the International Space Station doing the same. We spent some time walking the Oregon Coast listening to the mighty Pacific Ocean thunder before driving down to see the mighty Redwoods in Northern California. Yup…it was amazing and I suppose I’ll be writing about some it in the coming days.

Now here is the amazing thing. Right here in Southern Illinois, just next door in the Shawnee National Forest, or maybe just down the road or in your own neighborhood, we…you…can see the handiwork of God. Every sunrise and sunset, every cloud and ever changing leaf all shout the God of creation. So whether you travel like Judy and I or whether you just like to sit in the backyard and have a cup of coffee, be sure and look for God because surely He is there just waiting to sit with you. Take the time to enjoy Him for surely…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne 

Posted in Christmas, Easter, Family, gratitude, life, Scripture

Daddy and the Television

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

It was a special moment in time. Home movies…movies of everyday life in an everyday family. That is true today but back in the days before smartphones it was especially true. It was almost magical when someone went to the closet and got out the family camera and started shooting. It could have been a special occasion like someone’s birthday or a holiday like Christmas or Easter. All of them were special but sometimes the really special ones were just of everyday life.

As I was recently watching this treasure trove of movies from the mid sixties, I was enjoying once again seeing some of my loved ones who are no longer with us. Grandmother and Granddaddy were there as were my Momma and Daddy. Of all the different scenes of everyday life with the Taylor tribe, one stuck out and that is what I want to tell you about. It appeared to be a regular evening…one of those times when someone grabbed the camera and mashed the button. And then–there it was.

The scene showed my Daddy sitting on the floor. Our small black and white television was pulled away from the wall. Daddy had the back pulled off and was working on the innards of the set. He was studying it pretty intently. Apparently the television had gone on the fritz and he was doing his best to get it going again. Now my Daddy was a wiz when it came to working on jet engines and he could work on car engines and lawn mowers too. But it never occurred to me that he could or would work on a television. Back in those days things like televisions and radios were filled with tubes and the best I could tell he was plugging and unplugging those tubes just in case one of the had lost its connection.

Now I honestly have no idea if he got the thing working or not. What struck a cord with me was that he wasn’t afraid to try. I guess there were television servicemen in those days but we sure couldn’t afford one so he jumped in and did his best. Did.His.Best. That’s one of my favorite recent realizations about Momma and Daddy–they always did their best to take care of us. And do you know what?  They did a great job. Come what may they were willing to jump in–all in.

You know, that’s what God did when it came to saving us.  He jumped all in. Now let this soak in. I know you’ve heard it before but try to hear it like the first time. John 3:16 says, “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.” Now that is all in. He loved us enough to give His Son to a Roman cross and He did it because He loved us. Because.He.Loved.Us. You know He wants us to experience that love and share that love with others. Like working on a television when you don’t have a clue–that can be a challenge. But we don’t have to worry because He does have clue–He does know and not only that–He’s got this–every time.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in fear, Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful

Rescue–I Just Ran Out

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.” Psalm 37:24 

I just ran out. You know words can mean more than one thing. Those four words are a prime example. First, if someone says, “I just ran out” they might be talking about sugar. Maybe they were going to make a cake and realized that the day before they had used all their sugar. They would call a friend and say, “Can I borrow some sugar? I was going to make a cake and realized I just ran out.” Then of course there is a guy who found a snake in his bedroom. As he relayed the story to one of his friends, his friend might say, “So what did you do?” The guy might respond, “Well, I just ran out.”

Well, the other day I came face to face with a new meaning for those words. I was visiting my sister in Anniston, Alabama and was doing my morning walk thing. The fact that I was walking was nothing short of the goodness of God. After a long stint of hip and back pain, I was finally back (no pun intended) in business and trust me I was telling God just how grateful I was. So, anyway, is I was booking it pretty good–walking and talking with God.  And then–it happened.

There was a place in the road where the pavement looked like pavement does when someone didn’t do their job. As I walked, all of a sudden, the toe of my shoe hung up on something and I found myself fighting to stay upright. Rather than just fall flat on my face, I was able to start running. It may not have been pretty, in fact, I’m sure it wasn’t but somehow I was about to run enough to regain my balance and keep going. It was an amazing feat for my feet if I do say so myself.

So what do you think I did? Whine and complain? Nope. Grumble and groan? Nope. Pout and shout? Nope. As soon as I got my balance back, my hands shot into the air and I began praising the Lord. I knew this was yet another big intervention by my Dearest Daddy. With nothing on but shorts and a teeshirt, the road rash would have been of biblical proportions and on top of that there was the real possibility of some broken bones. But God was more than faithful. He sustained me, He held me, and He saved me. Plain and simple–He helped me run it out.

I was and am so grateful. I never get tired of telling and writing about the goodness of God. This particular time reminded me of Psalm 37:24. Speaking of the Godly, the author writes,     “Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the LORD holds them by the hand.” I can’t number the times that my great Rescuer came to rescue for me. And do you know what? If you think about–neither can you. 

This story could have had a harder and more difficult ending but God in His grace decided on this ending. And had I fallen–well, He would have still been good and still been gracious. Let me encourage you–always be on the outlook for the goodness of God. Trust me–it is everywhere. No matter the circumstances and no matter the outcome, always know and believe that, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne