Category: travel

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 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 heaven, life, Scripture, travel

Planes, Trains, A Ship and Automobiles

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through Me.” John 14:6

“How did you get there?” So in 1987 there was a movie entitled, “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” and from what I know, which is very little, it is a comedy about a couple guys on a happenstance road trip to somewhere. And, I suppose, it involved them traveling on planes, trains and automobiles. One thing my wife Judy and I have learned is if you are going somewhere you need a way to get there. In the case of our last journey, we started out by driving to Carbondale to catch a train. We rode the train to the Chicago train station and then caught another train to the Chicago airport. From there we caught an airplane heading to Seattle, Washington.

After arriving in Seattle, we boarded a cruise ship to Alaska. Wait…don’t leave…we are going somewhere…no pun intended. After seven days we returned to Seattle and rented a car and drove all around Washington State, Oregon and Northern California. Nine days later we headed back to Seattle, caught another airplane back to Chicago where we caught another train back to Carbondale where our son-in-law picked us up and dropped us off at home. Whew. What a journey…planes, trains, a ship and automobiles.

Now let’s get where we were going. You see, there are lots of ways (as in modes of transportation) and ways (as in flight paths, train paths and roadways) to get to all those places. The options are many and varied. And in life I suppose that is true too. Each day is filled with decisions that will take us down the various paths of life. But remember this…choose carefully because some our better than others. In fact, some can lead to disasters and some can cause us to get lost. Choose carefully.

But here’s the real point.  When it comes to heaven–there is only one way and one path. It has been said that all roads lead to Rome but trust me–all roads do not lead to heaven. It has also been said that it doesn’t matter what you believe as long as you believe in something. Wrong again. It is not enough to just believe–you have to believe in the right thing–or in this case the right Person. You see, the Bible makes it crystal clear that the way to Heaven is through believing in Jesus Christ. More specifically it is believing in who He is–the Son of God and what He did–dying for our sins and resurrecting (or coming back to life) after three days. If we are willing to put our faith in Him then God is willing to forgive our sins and allow us to spend eternity in heaven with Him.

Yup–there are lots of ways to lots of places but when it comes to heaven–only One will work. If you want to know more, why not get a Bible and read what God says about you and Jesus and how you can go to heaven when it comes time to leave here. I know one of the things that Judy and I enjoy about our trips is the variety of travel. I also know that the most important thing in making plans for Heaven is getting it right–doing what God says and going the way He says. Just ask Him and He will tell you all about it in His Word. 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 communication, Family, life, school days, Scripture, travel

Through the Decades–He’s Got This

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.” Psalm 37:25

Always faithful…period.  So several months ago, my sister gave me some copies of some old home movies. She gave me the original films which were silent 8mm reels but she also gave me a usb drive with the same movies but rerecorded in a digital format. Well, I didn’t and don’t have an 8mm projector so those copies sit in my office on a shelf reminding me of days gone by. The thumb drive ended up plugged into my television set. After watching some of it, I forgot it was even there–until a couple of days ago.

I’m not exactly sure how but I think I was going up the stairs at my house and since my television is mounted on the side of our stairs, I was able to glance at the backside of the television–and there was the drive still plugged in. I had rediscovered a treasure. So that night, I sat down and began watching the old home movies. Turns out they were from the mid-sixties and a couple of things became quickly apparent. First, my Daddy apparently loved to take pictures of the landscape. That was obvious from our visit to see brother number two in the Smokey Mountains, brother number three in Texas and finally brother number four in New Jersey. 

Thankfully though, he also took some great pictures of our family. For the first time in a long time I once again saw my Daddy, my Momma, my Granddaddy and my grandmother. And, of course, there were pictures of my brothers and sisters. Most of them–my grandparents and Momma and Daddy plus all my bothers and one of my sisters have changed addresses and moved to heaven. It reminded me that one of the things that will make heaven heaven is seeing my loved ones who knew Jesus again.

The other thing that caught my attention was the passage of time. You see, a much younger Dewayne was in more than a few of those scenes. I was no older, and mostly younger, than eleven in most of the movies and some of those movies were about things that I have written about over the years. There were a couple of Christmases and Easters and trips to see the brothers. It was pretty apparent that this younger Dewayne was definitely a little nerdy and a whole lot irritating most of the times. I think I outgrew most of that but let’s just say there are still signs of the past in my present.

So, the whole point of that is this–a whole lot of water has passed under the bridge since. If my math and calendar are correct a little more than sixty years have come and gone. And while a whole lot of things have changed there is one constant–God. He was God in the mid-sixties when I was struggling to find my way and He is God today as I continue that same struggle–to do life and find my way. While customs change, ways change, and we change–He never does. It is just like the Bible says about Jesus in Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Take that one to the bank.

Oh and one more thing. I was reading in my Jesus time this morning and one of the devotions quoted Psalm 37:25. It says, “Once I was young, and now I am old. Yet I have never seen the godly abandoned or their children begging for bread.” How about that. Oh the ever consistent and precious love and faithfulness of God. I probably didn’t realize it then but the fact is no matter the decade, no matter the circumstances that always and forever, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne 

Posted in friends, Grace, life, Scripture, travel

I Love You, Man

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “But a Samaritan on his journey came up to him, and when he saw the man, he had compassion.” Luke 10:33

His name was Paul. So this is a great story but in the interest of transparency I probably don’t have all the details right but the heart of the story is pure gold. My daughter Sarah and her husband Blake were out and about in Harrisburg. I believe they weren’t driving but rather taking a walk. Wherever they were Blake saw a younger man sitting on a big brown travel bag near the road. Unlike most times, this guy wasn’t holding a sign–he was just sitting. It was apparent that his life was probably hard and his circumstances were harder still.

At first they walked on by but something began tugging at Blake’s heart so he said to Sarah, “Wait a minute.” With that, he turned back and approached the man. In a casual yet caring tone, he asked the guy,”Hey man, do you need some food or something?” The guy responded with a no and that he was good. So Blake asked him where he was going. The guy explained that he was walking the country. He apparently had started in the northeast and had wandered the highways and byways of the land. He had been down south and over toward Missouri and that is how he found his way to Illinois and Harrisburg.

Blake asked him why he was walking and he said he was dying and wanted to do something before he did. Blake again inquired about what was going on and the guy said he had a large blood clot up and near his lungs and it was eventually going to be fatal. Well, they chatted for a while more. He didn’t ask for anything but appreciated another guy who was willing to take the time to talk and care. After awhile they both stood up and without thinking, Blake gave the guy a man hug and told him that he loved him. Boom–it was so not planned. So spontaneous. So genuine.

Well, Blake, compelled to do something, went into the store and got the guy a bag of trail mix. He gave it to him and said, “Hey, if you’re going to be on the trail you ought to have some trail mix.” So with a shared smile they went their ways. And do you know what? I’m pretty sure neither of them were the same as they were. Blake for caring and daring to share three words that men usually don’t share–I love you. Paul because he experienced the love of not just a man but perhaps, just perhaps, the love of a man called Jesus.

You know, we never know when an opportunity just might show up. I know for Blake this wasn’t the only time. Last time it was a guy with no shoes named Danny and Blake spontaneously gave him his. This time he gave him a piece of his heart. Let me encourage you to do what Blake did. If you see something–do something. Dare to pause, to wait a minute and see if you can help make a difference. It might take you out of your comfort zone–a place that most of us don’t believe we can go. But remember this–our Dearest Daddy lives beyond the comfort zone and he will be there to help you. He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne  

Posted in communication, Grace, gratitude, Scripture, travel

New Every Morning

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!” Lamentations 3:23-24

 ¡Hola! Soy una petunia mexicana. So on one of our recent journeys, my wife Judy made an essential stop at a local nursery to buy some plants for our yard. When we are in the south, whether it is as far south as Georgia or as close as Murray, Kentucky, we need to check out two things–what houses are for sale and what plants can we bring home. In this case, we were in Alabama at a Lowes and she brought home a petunia mexicana. In case you don’t speak Spanish (I don’t) the opening line says, “Hello! I am a Mexican petunia.”

So it turns out that our transplanted friend loves Southern Illinois–probably because it is southern. She carefully planted it in a large pot filled with Miracle Grow potting soil and the rest is history. In the few weeks that she has been in our backyard, she has just flourished. The greenery is green and lush but the best part are the blooms. Here’s how it goes. The day begins with it being covered with petite bluish purple blooms. They last the day and then they are done. By evening all that is left is the lush greenery. But there is a surprise coming.

You see, the next morning as the sunrises, new blooms appear. The whole plant is once again covered. It really is just beautiful. At the end of the day the whole process starts over again. But as sure as sunshine, the blooms are there and beautiful. It reminds me of one of my favorite scriptures. You see, in Lamentations 3:23-24 we read, “Because of the LORD’s faithful love we do not perish, for His mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!” Did you see it?  Just like the Mexican petunia provides a fresh bouquet of flowers each day, so God in His marvelous grace provides a bouquet of mercy. How about that.

Just as He provided manna each morning for the children of Israel, so He provides His mercy for us each and everyday. He is always faithful and always right on time. The Hebrew even suggests that it isn’t just any old mercy…it is the mercy that we will need for that particular day. I find that so assuring and so amazing.

So if you want to come by 217 and check out our Mexican friend, feel free to. She is at her best in the morning–just like God’s mercies. God bless you today as you journey with Him. And always remember, “Recuerda que, pase lo que pase, ¡él puede con esto!” Oh, in case you are wondering that says, “Remember no matter what, He’s got this!” Bro. Dewayne