Category: travel

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

Ralph’s Donut Heaven

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

It was donut heaven. Several years ago, Judy and I took a trip to middle Tennessee to do some hiking and be amazed all over again at the wonder of God’s creation.  We stayed in the small city of Cookeville which is about an hour east of Nashville.  We had driven by there many times on our way to Pigeon Forge and points East but never stopped.  And for some reason…this time it was our destination. It was wonderful.

Within a few minutes driving time were some of the most beautiful waterfalls I have seen.  One, Fall Creek Falls, is the tallest falls east of the Rockies—256 feet of free falling water.  Then there was Burgess Falls which had not one, but three separate falls…each one more spectacular than the one before.  Finally we drove over to Rock Island State Park and was amazed by a river that fell and fell and fell—each time creating a beautiful waterfall.  Then, coming out of caves in a huge, high bluff was a massive waterfall falling into the river.  Unbelievable. I would think God would get a 10 for all the beauty that we saw.  And then…there was Ralph’s.

When we stay at an Airbnb, we always check out all the literature that the host leaves to make the visit more enjoyable.  We also check out comments in the guest book for tidbits of information.  That is where we heard about Ralph’s.  Three different previous guests mentioned this mom and pop donut shop in downtown Cookeville.  We had to visit.  To not do so would have been a travesty of donut-ism.  So we were on our way on Monday morning when Judy checked their website.  Oh no…closed on Mondays.  We had to wait another day.

Tuesday morning after planning our hikes for the day, we headed to Ralph’s Donut Shop to ensure we had plenty of calories on hand for our journey.  When we arrived it was indeed an ordinary mom and pop donut shop.  But trust me…it was anything but ordinary.  First thing I noticed was the sign stating that they had been open since 1962.  Do the math and you will find out that they have been making donuts for 63 years—in the donut world that’s like forever.  And then—we opened the door.

It was donut heaven.  I know that to be true because so many things in the case were “holey.” Get it?  Anyway, to my left was a horseshoe shaped counter with almost every stool filled with locals enjoying coffee and pastries.  There was a long glass case and a whole wall filled with pastries and donuts.  And there to greet us was the best donut salesman in the world.  You could tell this guy loved his job. This guy was meant to work at Ralph’s.  The first thing my eye spotted was the royalty of pastries—the fried apple fritter.  It was massive, fried crispy, covered with glaze with the middle stuffed with apple filling.  One please.

Then the sales guy told us the fritter was their best seller until the butter twist came along.  It was a fried donut but the twist was they brushed it with butter before cooking.  He said it was voted the number one donut in the entire state of Tennessee.  I’m sure he was telling the truth.  Two please.  Judy wanted something chocolate.  No problem—a butter twist with chocolate frosting should do the trick.  One please. 

Judy and I had read that they closed at 11:30 so we assumed 11:30 am but we asked anyway.  Oh no…they have three shifts of bakers and are open from 5:00 am till 11:30 pm.  Now who has ever heard of a donut shop staying open that long—and they are doing quite well, thank you.  Oh, and did I mention that they are listed in the top 20 donut bakeries in the entire United States?  Oh, yes…it was donut heaven and it was “holey” ground.

Well, there is one thing that was obvious at Ralph’s—they were all in.  They knew their product, they believed in their product and they wanted to share their product.  Even if you didn’t like donuts, you wanted to buy one by the time you left.  You wanted what they had because it had to be worth having.  I have a feeling that we as Jesus followers should take a lesson from Ralph’s.  We know we have the best thing in all of creation to offer those in our world—the good news of Jesus Christ.  Donuts may be “holey” but Jesus can make us holy—holy enough to call God, Father—holy enough to go to heaven.  And Ralph’s may have been making donuts for 63 years but God has been loving us since before the foundation of the world.  He wants to walk with us through every day of our life…and beyond.  He is a beyond amazing God.

So since He is so incredible—if we love Him, if we believe in Him—we should be all in too.  We should live like we believe and share the Word about Him like we believe it.  I left Ralph’s wanting to tell people about this amazing place.  I think we need to get up every morning wanting to tell everyone the great Good News.  And what is that? It is that God, Creator God, so loved this world that gave His Son to a Roman cross that anyone who believes in Him and what He did—can have everlasting life.  And that is the best news ever.  Oh and then there is more.  No matter what today sends our way, we have the assurance that He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, Holidays, life, Scripture, Southern born, travel

Southern Cuisine–The Real Deal

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “He says, “I am the Lord, and there is no other.” Isaiah 45:18b

I discovered the difference between the real deal and everything else.  My wife Judy and I travel south to see family.  Before I retired, she was usually our representative to our southern family.  She would make the circuit, sitting and talking and visiting, all of which is right up her alley.  But that was then and this is now.  Now we make the trips together.  I was soon reminded of the value of family and in the process rediscovered the value of good southern cooking.

First, in Valdosta where she is from and where a bunch of her family lives, there is a family of restaurants that are excellent for two reasons.  First, they are all buffets and second, they all specialize in southern cooking.  The buffet is a spread of everything southern…fried chicken, ribs (both fried and smoked), fish, pork chops, chicken gizzards and livers, pot roast and the list goes on and on.  Then comes the vegetables…field peas, lima beans, baby lima beans, black-eyed peas, collard and turnip greens, cream corn, grits and…well, you get the idea.

Well, that was all good but then came Thursday night.  Her family decided to have a mini family reunion of sorts.  Now just like my family, her family is blessed with many queens of southern cuisine.  I admit I just couldn’t wait to taste what was going to be brought.  About thirty relatives showed up and each family brought several dishes. Now imagine with me.  Take the list above and double it and you will have a fair idea of how much food was there.  Now, take what we had at the restaurant, which was very good, and give it a multiplication factor of at least two and maybe three and you begin to understand the Allen family feast.  It was beyond delicious—and not just a dish here or there but every dish.  I won’t even try to describe the deserts.  Wonderful southern food with a wonderful southern family and well, I sure was glad I didn’t miss it.

I did learn something through my southern food experience.  You see, I was very content with the restaurant version of southern heaven until I tasted the real deal and suddenly, I was reminded of the difference.  The real thing made in someone’s kitchen with loving hands and hearts made the restaurant version somewhat of a cheap imitation. Oh, it was good till I had the real thing and then there was no comparison. The real thing trumps anything else every time.

That truth is worth remembering.  There are a lot of imitations out there in the world and they will try and make you discontent with the real thing.  They will try and steal your heart out of a good marriage or make you discontent and leave relationships that have satisfied for years. Like so many of the commercials today, they wave their plastic happiness and try to convince you that their “something” is better.  Don’t believe it—the real deal is better than a plastic substitution no matter how good it looks.  And by the way, that is definitely true when it comes to religion and God.  Don’t ever be tempted to trade the practice of religion for a God who loves you so much He gave His Son to die for you. Like He said in His Book, “I am the Lord, there is no other.”

I am grateful for my trips south, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn once again about the importance of what is real and what is second place.  Never be satisfied with something else when you can have what is real and never trade what is first for what is second.  It is always a bad deal.

So, if you are blessed to have some southern relatives and you visit with them, make sure to sit-down with them for supper.  Chances are you will discover your own spread of southern delights.  And remember to be content and grateful for the spread that God has set before you.  He is a good, good Father and, unlike religion, He loves you so, so much and no matter what, you know, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, gratitude, life, Scripture, travel

Payback

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “He will not fear bad news; his heart is confident, trusting in the Lord.” Psalm 112:7 (CSB)

Payback isn’t always bad. If you are a Grits reader, you know this is one guy who is pretty proud to be an American.  I love our country but that doesn’t mean we always get it right.  When we were in England, we discovered something that was awesome. Let me explain it to you. We took the train up to Edinburgh, Scotland and back. I had thought about driving but one thing they don’t get right over there is which side of the road to drive on.  They don’t drive on the right side of the road…literally.  So, after a short debate we decided to take the train.

I was impressed that their trains are fast.  The train we caught to Edinburgh was zipping along and I pulled out my trusty iPhone and discovered we were going 125 mph—now that is cool.  But that wasn’t the coolest thing.  Coming back, we were zipping along—until we weren’t.  About two-thirds through the journey, we made an unexpected stop in a small village.  The train driver guy came on the PA and apologized.  There was a problem up ahead with the signaling system so all trains, including ours, were stopped.  Well, after about 15 minutes, he came back on to let us know it was going to be a while, so he invited us to step off the train and stretch our legs if we wanted to.  We did—so we did.

Well, there was a Starbucks inside, so I got a cup of something and then my wife, Judy and I walked up and down the platform for a while. By now we had been stopped for just shy of an hour. No problem…everyone seemed to be handling the delay quite well.  So, we walked some more and finally decided to get back on.  Every few minutes the train driver guy would come back on the PA and apologize and promise to keep us updated. Well, after 118 minutes, I know, not because I was looking at my watch but because he told us, we were “back on the road (or tracks) again.”

As we got underway, he apologized for the twentieth time and then told us to be sure and visit the railroad’s website…wait for it…to get our money back. Yup…you read that right.  Apparently, on public transportation, including railroads, any delay over 30 minutes entitles you to some sort of refund.  In our case, we received a 100% refund of our ticket price…all without even asking.  What! Can you believe that? So, we turned in our information and in a couple of days all if our money was back in our account.  Now that is amazing.

I’m not sure, but that might be one reason why everyone on the train was so low key about the delay. They knew that the train company was going to take care of them. It didn’t change the delay but it sure did make it more tolerable. In a small way, that is kinda, sorta like God. You see in our lives; we have the confident assurance that God is going to take care of us too.  And, if we are wise enough to trust Him, it might just make our life journey less stressful. The journey is better if we know the end…it is true with trains and it is definitely true in life.

So, as you do your life journey, listen for the voice of your Dearest Daddy…He will probably be telling you to trust Him. He won’t apologize for the delay or the circumstances, but He will let you know that…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

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

East and West–Sun and Moon

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: You can be sure that I will rescue My people from the East and from the West. I will bring them home again.” Zechariah 8:7-8a

That night He made a statement. My wife Judy and I pulled in the driveway at about 3:15 pm on a Tuesday afternoon. We had been to Florida and Georgia and several more states in-between. In the process we had driven over a thousand miles. It was a wonderful time with God and His creation, family and friends. Of course when we got back we had to unload the car–one of my favorite things to do.

After the unloading and a few other trip chores, I told Judy I was going to get the Mustang out for a short trip around a long block. Turned out it was a great idea. It was very near sunset so I got in, dropped the top (yup…it is a convertible) and started down the driveway. When I turned East onto the street, I glanced up and there was–a nearly full moon…and it was magnificent. It was a super moon which means it seemed larger than life…and I guess it was. This particular super moon was the closest the moon would come to earth this entire year–221,818 miles to be exact.

Well, I continued East a few more blocks stealing as many glances as I could at God’s super moon. Eventually I turned North and then after a few blocks back West–and there it was.  It was one of the most beautiful sunsets I have ever seen and it seemed the longer it went on, the more magnificent it became. The sky was ablaze with the miracle of color and it went on well after the official time for the sun to set. It too, like it cousin the moon, was simply amazing.

So there it was–East and West–sun and moon both proclaiming the greatness and goodness of God. Psalm 19:1 says it best, “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. 

The skies display His craftsmanship.” And that Tuesday night–they were shouting the roof down. And what struck me was the vastness of their song–the moon from the East and the sun from the West. It seemed to me that God did that intentionally–His vast love for us needed the vastness of both horizons to even begin to show the greatness of His great love.

Zechariah 8:7-8a says, “This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: You can be sure that I will rescue My people from the east and from the west. I will bring them home again.” East and West–all the whosoever wills–He’s bringing them home. How about that. So if the weather cooperates tonight, sneak out and see if you can see what I saw–the sun and moon in full concert proclaiming the truth, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, Grace, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, travel

Stuck in A Rut

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Don’t you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize? So run to win! 25. All athletes are disciplined in their training. They do it to win a prize that will fade away, but we do it for an eternal prize. 26. So I run with purpose in every step. I am not just shadowboxing. 27. I discipline my body like an athlete, training it to do what it should.

1 Corinthians 9:24-27a

It is so easy to get stuck in a rut. A habit starts there or a habit starts there and before you know it–you are stuck in a rut.  Many years ago, when people were moving West, most of the vehicles were wagons and most of the roads consisted only of wagon tracks. These tough roads were very hard to navigate, particularly because wagons would often get stuck in the wheel ruts that had been created by other wagons, and getting out of those deep ruts could be extremely difficult. One wagon trail even had a sign that read: AVOID THIS RUT OR YOU WILL BE IN IT FOR THE NEXT 25 MILES.

All of us would admit we’ve been stuck in a rut at some point in our lives. But how can we know if the rut we’re in is a good rut or a bad rut? In other words, how do we make sure the habits we’re building are life-giving instead of life-draining? The key to making sure your habits are healthy ones is to ask the simple question: “Is God glorified by this?” If we look at our habitual behavior and see that it brings honor to only ourselves, then that’s a rut God wants us to leave behind!

Someone once said that a rut is nothing more than a grave with the ends knocked out. So remember this–it’s never too late to start developing healthy habits. We should constantly examine your daily routine and refine it to be one that brings the most glory to God. When you stay out of the unhealthy ruts, you’ll experience the fullness of joy God has for you! Need a little help to get out of that rut?  God’s just waiting for a call–you can trust Him.  He’s got this! Bro. Dewayne

Posted in gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful, travel

Sock It To Me

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good! His faithful love endures forever.” Psalm 107:1

My sock had gone missing. Normally in my world a missing sock would only garner a yawn but this was different. You see, several years ago my daughter gave me some socks for Christmas. Again, normally not an exciting Christmas gift but these socks were different.  Their trade name is Bombas and they are definitely not Walmart priced. Let’s just say they cost more than I would ever pay. But the bottom line is they are way comfortable. I’ve never loved a sock before but that day I fell for them. Hence the loss of this sock was a big deal.

So we spent ten days at Topsail–a state park in Florida. Judy did a load of laundry and when we brought it back to our bungalow, I helped her fold everything. We folded this and we folded that and finally there was one item left–a lone Bombas sock.  Its mate had gone missing. So we first did a pretty through search of our cabin but to no avail. We then went down to the laundry mat to see if it had gotten left behind. Nope. It began to look like my beloved Bombas sock had simply disappeared. I was disappointed but hey…worse things had happened.

Judy told me that sometimes people, when they find things in the machine or dryer, will bring them back. Well, the next day we went back, twice, and no sock. It began to look like I was going to give it up or start a new trend of wearing one sock. Finally, on day three, we were coming back from somewhere and I told Judy that maybe we should check one more time. One.More.Time. So we did and when she came out…she was empty-handed. Bummer.

When she got to the car, I asked, “No luck?” Then, she smiled and pulled the sock out of her pocket. I was wowed. I was smiling. I was happy.  I was grateful–to my Dearest Daddy–for once again caring about the smallest of details…even a missing sock. Do I believe He was working on my behalf?  Absolutely. Do I believe He cares about missing socks? Yup–I sure do. You see…that is the kind of God He is.

Here’s the big truth for today. It isn’t that God cares about socks, it is that we should learn to be grateful for anything and everything that He does. Along with thanking Him for the sock, I asked Him to help me to never forget to be grateful. He is a loving God of the details and He is active everywhere. I hope we don’t forget that. By the way, I am glad the sock didn’t show you for three days–it made the blessing bigger. God’s timing is always the best and God is the God who gladly let’s us know, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in life, loving others, Scripture, travel

God’s Love for All: Lessons from a Train Journey

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him.” Mark 10:21

The end is a strange place to start.  My wife Judy and I spent a couple of weeks in England and Scotland.  The first part was God stuff, good stuff and the second part was Sabbath stuff, good stuff. But all things come to an end, and it was time for us to head home.  On our last night there we booked a hotel near the airport because we had an early flight.  It was indeed close, but it still required us to take a short ride on the Tube (aka the subway…not the kind that makes sandwiches but the kind you ride on).

So, we walked the short distance to the station and there was the train…we were right on time.  Even though it was 5:30 am, there were still plenty of people on the train, and we all looked strangely alike.  We all were wearing comfortable clothing suitable for traveling and we all had a variety of baggage.  We went to one end of the train car…the only place where there were seats… and grabbed one. It was there that we noticed that not everyone was alike…and not everyone was traveling.

I don’t mean to be harsh but as soon as we sat down, we noticed an unpleasant smell. It was like someone had lost their cookies and it wasn’t cleaned up properly. It was about then that I noticed a man slouched and sound asleep in a seat kinda across from us. At first, I thought he was going to the airport and to work but as I looked closer, it was obvious that he was homeless. His clothing was deeply stained and even his skin was darkened by too many hard days and times.  As I looked…I was grieved.

I can honestly say there was no judgement when my gaze found him.  There was no judgement when I realized he was the source of that unpleasant odor. What there was can best described as a sadness, as empathy.  As I studied his weary body and stained backpack, and clothing three things came to mind.  First, this meager life he was living was all that he would have here. He would never have the plushness of my comfortable American life.  Second, I realized that if he slipped into eternity very few would care. There probably would be no family, no funeral, no nothing.

The last thought was this.  That God, the same God that loves me, loved him. The same Jesus that died for me, died for him. He was infinitely valuable to the One who created him.  All of that is true for him and it is true for every person we see…whether wandering aimlessly the streets of Harrisburg or living comfortably in one of our finest neighborhoods.  God loves everyone—the same.

He was still asleep as we departed the train but I can still see him there.  I truly hope that one day he finds Jesus…the one Person who can change his present and his future.  I hope that for you too.  Everyone needs Jesus.  So, regardless of your station in life know that there is Someone who cares.  Know there is Someone who, no matter what we are facing, is big enough, strong enough and caring enough to declare, “I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, life, Scripture, sovereignty of God, travel

When Jesus Say Yes

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17

2020 was a year to remember or maybe, to forget. Years from now, when I think of that particular year, I will remember it as the “Year of No”. You see, to me it seemed every time I turned around someone was telling me no. I couldn’t do this and I couldn’t do that.  Included in that batch of “no’s” were trips to conferences, vacations or even a trip to Best Buy. I remember a particular task I just didn’t want to do.  I had put it off for several weeks.  It wasn’t that I was procrastinating–I was just hoping.  Maybe something would change.  Maybe what appeared to be a new normalcy was a bad dream and I would wake up, stretch and yawn, make a cup of coffee and get ready to go.  Instead…I cancelled the reservation.  As it turned out I wouldn’t be needing a rental car for a week in California.  Not now.

You see, my wife Judy and I love to travel—to take adventures. Last spring our adventure was a rerun of sorts.  Catch the train to Chicago, spend the night there and enjoy the Chicago skyline, wake up and board the train for California.  For two days America would fly by our windows–farmlands, plains, mountains. Once in California we would see some of the most incredible scenery you could imagine.  It was going to be a great trip and then the pandemic and its buddies said, “no.”

Actually, that was just one of several “no’s”  We were going to a pastor’s retreat in North Carolina that year to get recharged.  No. We were going to the Southern Baptist Convention–something we did every year. No.  I had a doctor’s appointment in Paducah.  I’m not usually a fan of doctor appointments–you know, “Step right here on the scale.”  You know the drill.  But I was excited—at least I was going somewhere, anywhere.  No. No. No. No.

In the midst of the flurry of “no’s” something happened.  Judy reminded me of a song by Michelle Williams, “Say Yes,” that we had enjoyed many times before .  It had slipped from my playlist.  Maybe it shouldn’t have.  The words go something like this, “When Jesus say yes, nobody can say no. When Jesus say yes, nobody can say no. When Jesus say yes, nobody can say no. When Jesus say yes, nobody can say no.”

The song continues, “I’m not worried ’bout a thing, ’cause, I know You are guiding me. Where You lead me, Lord, I will go. I have no fear ‘cause, I know Who’s in control. There’s no limit to what You can do ’cause it all belongs to You–Yes, it all belongs to You. You’re Almighty and all powerful and it all belongs to You. Yes, it all belongs to You. When Jesus say yes, nobody can say no.”

Ok, it rocked me good—in fact, it changed my outlook.  It helped me see, again, that life is filled with yes and “no’s.”  You know, that’s just life.  Trips get cancelled, schools get closed, schedules get train wrecked (no pun intended), and kids drive parents crazy, and parents drive kids crazy.  Circumstances seem to drown us, and life sometimes just scares us.  And then, if we are Jesus followers, we simply pause and remember,“When Jesus say yes, nobody can say no.”

Well, time passed and guess what? The “no’s” gradually faded away and gave way to yes.  Once again we can go and eat at restaurants.  We can plan and take vacations.  We can ride the train or take a plane.  We are even taking mission trips.  “When Jesus say yes, nobody can say no.”  

I hope I am wise enough to learn from all of this.  “Learn what” you ask?  That God is running this show.  He says “yes” and He says “no.”  He opens and closes doors.  And you need to know something.  He doesn’t seek nor need my permission or approval–or yours.  After all, get ready, He is God and well, we are not.  Now all that would be scary except for one thing.

James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” Our Father is not a “bad news, I’m gonna deprive you just because I can” God.  Nope.  He is an “I love you and I’m going to watch over you” God.  And what are we supposed to do? Just listen as He whispers, “Trust me.” Judy and I are once again back on the road–we’ve even been to California. I don’t know what tomorrow holds but I do know who holds tomorrow. More than a cute saying–it is true. So let’s just lean on Him–after all, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

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

Dog Beach

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “So God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God He created them; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27

Southwest Florida has gotta be a great place to live.  A few years back, for the first time in a long time, my wife Judy and I headed back to Southwest Florida for a visit. I am a Florida boy—born and raised in the Northeast corner of Florida in Jacksonville.  Judy is a Georgia peach raised in Valdosta. If you’ve driven to Florida down I-75 you have been through Valdosta.  So being from Florida and close to Florida, it is naturally a place we like to visit.

We spent the week down in Fort Myers Beach and had a great time. Several times we hopped in our rented Mustang Convertible and drove around.  Fort Myers Beach is built on a narrow strip of land and there is only one main road that runs through it.  We would turn out of our condo and either go left or right—there were no other options.

We would see these places where dozens of cars would be parked beside the road and of course that got a rise in our curiosity.  We just had to know what all those people were doing.  Did they know something that we needed to know—to see?  Well, one Saturday evening we decided to drive down to one of those spots.  Earlier that day it was just packed with cars, and we imagined it had to be a beautifully secluded beach.  It might even be worth exploring the next day.  So off we went.  It was raining a little and when we neared the spot where there had been dozens of cars and now there were only a few.  Paradise was within our grasp.

We parked in the small sand parking lot and noticed there was a sign that said Dog Beach.  We figured that was the name of the beach.  Maybe it was shaped like a dog or dog’s leg or something.  Even without an umbrella we started walking.  It was a rather small path, wet from the rain.  Then we came to an opening to what appeared to be a large bay.  We met some folks who were heading back to their car, and we asked where the beach was.

They told us we would have to wade through the water, follow a small path and then go around a small peninsula and there would be a beautiful beach.  So…off we went wading through water, carrying our shoes, and walking a path through the woods.  Along the way, we came upon a few folks heading to their cars and they all had dogs.  How about that?  We normally aren’t slow to figure things out but today wasn’t one of our better days.  We kept walking till finally we came upon a small, not particularly beautiful beach.  It wasn’t on the Gulf but rather on the bay.  There was a person with, you guessed it, a dog.  There was also a couple out in the water with, you guessed it, a dog.  Hmmmm…I was starting to connect the dots.

I asked the couple with the dog if they were from there and they said no.  And I asked them about what was so special about this place—that we had seen dozens of cars here and thought it must be special.  And it was…if you owned a dog.  You see, it was in fact a dog beach.  All those dozens of cars with many more dozens of people were there for one reason—it was a place where their dogs could be dogs.  That was it.  It was only paradise if you had a dog that enjoyed playing in the water.  And, for a lot of people, that hit the spot.

I left that day only a little impressed with the beach and more than a little wet and that was ok.  What made that beach special wasn’t for me, but it was for a lot of other people.  It taught me fresh and anew that the beauty of something really is in the eyes of the beholder.  With that came the renewed lesson that I should be slow, real slow, to judge another person’s opinion. Hmmm…that just might be a game changer.

I know now that when I go by the Dog Beach and see all those cars that there are a whole lot of people just beyond the tree line that love their pups.  And being a dog lover who just happens to be dog-less for now, that is pretty awesome.  Instead of going by and thinking “Look at all those beach lovers,” I will go by and say, “Look at all those dog lovers.”  Maybe before we assume or think we know all about a circumstance or relationship, we need to explore and figure it out and we may come to a whole different conclusion.

Need some help?  Well, the One who made us all has it all figured out.  In fact, He reminds us in the Bible that every person is made in His image, and He wants each of them to come be a part of His family. And then, He made that possible by sending His Son Jesus to pay for our sins. When you find yourself befuddled with someone or a particular situation, just check with your Dearest Daddy…leave it resting with Him.  You can because He has this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, Grace, life, loving others, Scripture, travel, Trials

Giants Among Us

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

There are giants among us…we saw them. It was a few years ago…but it is still fresh in my mind. These giants were the massive redwoods of California and they are the tallest and perhaps the largest trees on earth. They can grow up to 380 feet in height and swell up to 26 feet in diameter. Not only that, they can live up to 2,200 years. The giant redwoods are an evergreen tree only found in a narrow strip of coastal California and just north of the Oregon border. 

The redwoods seem larger than life and that’s because they are. They are not the only giants around though.  There are the human kind but I’m not talking about their height or weight. I am talking about heroes—people with big hearts and brave souls. These amazing people do the most amazing things. They lay their lives on the line for their country, they put on a badge and  go into dangerous situations for a few dollars a week.  They charge into burning buildings when everyone else is trying to get out.

That is just a few for the list goes on and on.  There are also other kinds of giants—larger in life in the quest for excellence, to change the world or perhaps, to be like Jesus. These are some of the people I admire the most—true spiritual giants. A few years ago I met one.  I was amazed by her story.

It all started when we were invited over to a friend’s house for supper. When we arrived, we had the opportunity to meet her mother who lived with her. That is when I realized it probably wouldn’t be a normal evening. When her mom spoke to us you could tell she was struggling with her voice.  Before long, she explained and that was the beginning of an incredible story.

She explained in 1950 when she was 19 years old, she was diagnosed with polio.  If you know a little about those times, there was an epidemic of this terrible, dreaded disease.  It struck without warning and without rhythm and that was the case here. It left this dear saint partially paralyzed and affected her vocal cords.  I was enthralled with her story as she shared, they said she would never walk—but they were wrong.

Then she shared more and more of her story.  When she was born (and remember this is around 1930) there were twins and she weighed less than two pounds.  She was a fighter from the beginning and fight she did.  Later, when she was eleven, she basically was put out to fend for herself and she did.  She had a strong constitution and work ethic.  I was amazed.

She married and had three miscarriages before giving birth to her daughter.  She would end up having 21 surgeries for various reasons and lived with a colostomy.  She was told that she had cancer though they really couldn’t pinpoint the source.  I know there are several things that I am leaving out but that is enough for you to get the picture.  Her life was difficult from the get-go but that is not the main story.

The most amazing story is her faith.  Receiving Christ at a young age, her journey of faith was strong and steady.  Like Job, her love for God only grew deeper and stronger.  She shared that evening how blessed she was that God had entrusted her with this suffering.  From her lips poured words of praise for her Savior. Then came stories of incredible generosity to those in need—both physically and spiritually.

Judy and I both left that night refreshed as if we had drunk deeply from a cool spring. We were blessed, encouraged, and challenged by a saint who had given more than she took.  She isn’t the only one.  Over my four decades of pastoring, I have bumped into so many spiritual heroes.  You had to bump into them because like most heroes, they don’t brag about their lives and stories.

When I left that night, I also left strengthened.  It is instances like this that solidify my own faith.  When I see and hear stories such as this one, it shouts to me, “God is real.”  It also does one more thing.  It causes me to examine the life story I am writing.  When people read my life, what does it say about me…and about the God I serve?

Each one of us are writing a story and during this hot mess called life, we all have special opportunities to write a saga.  The way we live, act, and speak will tell a tale.  Hopefully it will be one of grace and kindness.  Paul wrote in the Bible that we should be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

That is a tall order, but God is in the business of filling tall orders.  Why not take a moment and ask your Heavenly Father for a little, or maybe a lot, of help?  Let Him know you’ve been treading water a lot these days and you could use a little rest.  Don’t worry—He is ready and willing to help.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne