Category: Scripture

Posted in Family, Grace, life, pride, Scripture, sovereignty of God

It Wasn’t Pretty

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his foolishness.” Proverbs 26:11

It just wasn’t pretty.  When we arrived in Cobden, Illinois in 1986 they provided a home for us.  The only problem was the church was “L” shaped and the house sat right in the middle of the “L.”  The reason that was a problem was whenever someone needed something, they knew right where to come.  We might as well have had a billboard in our front yard advertising where the preacher lived. Every person needing some gas or baby diapers knew right where to look. That was all fine except I do believe they watched to see when we were eating supper before they rang the doorbell.

Sometimes it was a church member needing in the building.  Early, oh, about 6:30 am, one Saturday morning my wife Judy and I were still snuggled down in our bed. About that time, we heard someone first pulling on the front door of the church and then hollering, “Where’s that preacher and why is the door locked?” Well, the preacher was still in bed, after all it was Saturday, it was just after daybreak, and the door was locked for that reason. It was just about that time when Judy said, “Dewayne, we need to move.” So, the church said OK, and we found an older Victorian home, made a ridiculously low offer (because that is all we could afford) and to everyone’s surprise they said yes. Holy moly.

We moved and began life as homeowners.  Homeowners meant that we were responsible for everything.  Things like yard stuff. Things like trimming trees.  Things like getting stuck in a tree while trimming it.  Yup, that’s right.  In our backyard was a large and old Redbud tree.  While it was still alive, it had seen better days.  In fact, there were several dead limbs up in the tree.  Mr. Homeowner, that’s me, decided to trim it up.  I didn’t have a ladder, so I found a bucket, or a stool, or something to stand on and managed to get up in the tree.  I sawed away with my handy pruning saw and soon I was ready to get back down. It was then that I discovered the laws of climbing a tree using a bucket or something.  It wasn’t pretty.

I decided it would be best to go down backwards facing the tree. It sounded like a sound idea.  It wasn’t.  With one foot in a crook of the tree, I gingerly lowered my other leg to the stool or bucket or whatever it was. And, as fate would have it, my foot landed not in the middle but on the edge of whatever it was and yes, it tipped over.  And what happened next still causes me to groan.  As the bucket or stool or whatever it was tipped over, I found myself with one leg caught in the tree and my other leg on the ground. In other words,…I was in trouble.  My foot with my leg attached was over my head and I was in pain.  For a gymnast…no problem.  For a ballerina, no problem.  For a slightly out of shape preacher, homeowner…big problem.

It was so bad I have managed to block out the details of the rescue.  I think it involved me hollering, Judy hearing and coming, and her somehow freeing my leg from the crook of the tree. I was grateful…boy, was I grateful. Like Jacob who left an encounter with God with a limp, I left the tree with a hip that still holds grudges. To this day, whenever I raise my leg to do something, I am not so gently reminded of that day.  I did something to something, and it was a lifetime reminder to not use a bucket, or a stool, or some other something other than a ladder to climb into a tree.  I.Learned.

One thing that most living animals have is the ability to learn.  Bucks get to be big bucks by learning when and where to go and not go.  All the family dogs know who to beg for food from.  His name is Papa.  You get the idea.  So, assuming you don’t die from climbing a tree without the proper tools, at least you learn how not to do it…and that is valuable.  As we journey through life, God usually gives us a chance to learn.  The important thing is to…wait for it…learn.  Everyone makes mistakes but it is simply foolish to keep making the same ones over and over again. The author of Proverbs says it this way, “As a dog returns to its vomit, 

so a fool repeats his foolishness.” Sometimes the Bible just lays it out there, doesn’t it?

Well, that was a one-time experience.  I can’t say that is true for everything I’ve done, but it was true about that one thing.  There are some things in life that once is enough.  But what do you do if you find your leg hung in a tree above your head?  Well, you holler and pray.  If you are lucky someone might hear you.  The good news is that God will hear you and while I don’t know how the rescue might come, I do know He won’t laugh at you.  He will just whisper, “I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in birthday, Family, gratitude, life, loving others, school days, Scripture

Snippet

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “But Jesus said, “Let the children come to Me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.” Matthew 19:14

So, there’s this memory I have, tucked away in the back of my mind, a little snippet from way back. I’ve probably shared it a million times by now, but hey, it’s one of those moments that really stuck with me. It’s about how my parents went all out to make holidays and birthdays special, even though they didn’t have much. Christmas was the big one, of course, but they tried to make every birthday memorable too, even if it meant sacrificing something else. And this particular birthday? Well, it stands out for one really amazing reason.

It was probably around 1959. I was about five years old, living in a world so different from today that it feels like we were on another planet. My birthday was just a few days after Christmas, and while I’m sure there was cake and family, the thing that stands out the most is the gift I got. I have no idea how parents choose presents for a five-year-old, but my Momma and Daddy totally nailed it that year.

Now, there were no big chain stores like Walmart back then. I imagine my parents went to the local Western Auto store — you know, that old-school place that was part appliance store, part general store, and part toy shop. And somehow, they found the perfect gift for me: an ice cream truck. Well, not really a truck, and not one that actually held ice cream, but it was still something special.

It was like a tricycle, but with a big metal box on the back plastered with decals declaring it to be an ice cream truck. It had streamers on the handlebars, a fender on the front wheel, and of course, a bell. I can clearly remember pedaling down the street in front of our house, pretending to sell ice cream, with no cars around to worry about.

One day, I remember riding down the road to where a guy was building a little house all by himself. I stopped, asked him if he wanted some ice cream, and he actually played along! We ended up chatting a lot, and every day after that, I’d ride down to see him. I don’t remember his name, but I’ll never forget how kind he was to a little kid with an imaginary ice cream truck. That kind of kindness sticks with you, even years later.

It makes me think of this quote my wife has hanging up at home from Maya Angelou: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” That’s exactly what this man did — he made me feel like I mattered, even though I was just a kid. I don’t even remember his name, but I’ll never forget how he treated me.

It makes me wonder: when was the last time we took a moment to show kindness to someone, especially when they least expect it? Back then, kids were supposed to be seen, not heard, so when this man went out of his way to talk to me, to stop what he was doing, it was something special. He stepped out of the adult world and made me feel important.

And it makes me think about Jesus too. He was always the one who noticed the invisible people, the ones others overlooked. He was the one who said, “Let the little children come to Me.” I bet if Jesus was there that day, He would’ve said, “Let Dewayne come to Me.” And the thing is, no matter how small or insignificant you might feel sometimes, to Jesus, you’re never invisible. You matter. You matter so much to Him.

So, if life feels overwhelming or like it’s just not going your way, just remember: you’ve got a friend in Jesus. He’s got your back, always. And maybe, just maybe, we should all try to be a little more like Him and spread some kindness along the way. Need a little help? Here’s good news…He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Grace, life, Scripture

Braces Not Dentures

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.” Psalm 139:23-24

Dentures…not exactly what I meant to say.  So as a public speaker I have had plenty, and I do mean plenty, of misspeaks. Actually since I wasn’t sure misspeak was a word and given today’s story I decided to check it.  Yup…it is a word and yup…it sure does fit.  A misspeak is when you fail to express yourself insufficiently, clearly, or accurately.  They probably invented that word just for me—or at least people like me.  My most famous misspeak will remain a guarded secret.  Even though it happened very publicly I would rather it not be shared again publicly until my funeral.

Misspeaks can be quite funny.  I had so many at a church I previously pastored that when it was time to move on they came up with a book of “Dewayne-isms.” And fortunately for me most of mine have been funny…just like the one that prompted this story.  I was speaking about the fact that Jesus told His followers up front that a life that included following Him was going to be hard.  He put it like this, “In this world you will have trouble.  But be of good cheer because I have overcome the world.”  There you go…crystal clear.  Too often though you will hear Christian speakers making some pretty big promises on God’s behalf. It usually includes the fact that if we choose to follow Jesus…the rewards are enormous. It is about then that I list a few.  They usually include things like you will never get sick. You will always have a job and never lose said job.  Every promotion at that job is a guaranteed thing and on and on and on. 

Right before I end the list, I always throw the kids in.  They will all be handsome and attractive, be superstar athletes and never, ever need braces.  Well, that is what I meant to say but instead of saying braces, I said dentures. So flying out of mouth came, “And your kids will never need dentures.” Ok, I know and you know that dentures is not even close to braces so where it came from? Who knows?  But it took about one second for the crowd to catch it and have a good laugh.  Of course I corrected it right away and even added a bit to add to the unexpected humor. We all had a good laugh, and I can only imagine the next time braces or dentures come up in a conversation, someone just might say, “I remember when…”

Misspeaks—it is a love/hate relationship and as I said are often quite funny…until it isn’t.  I suppose you, like me, have said things we wish we hadn’t.  It’s the kind of thing that happens when you say something and you instantly wish it hadn’t.  It’s the kind of thing that we call a slip of the tongue but then you wonder, “Where did that come from anyway?”  And these misspeaks can sometimes leave a scar—the size of Texas.  Jesus said one time that these kind of misspeaks come from the heart. He said, “It is out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.”  He was saying that often our words reveal what is lurking in the heart.

Now these are not the funny things we say like dentures and braces, no, these are those unkind and hurtful things we say about people…even those and often those…close to us. Typical topics can include weight, appearance, fashion, cooking, housekeeping, oh, and the need for dentures…I mean braces.  You might be wondering, “How do I prevent these things from happening?”  Well, speaking of housecleaning, maybe we need to do some “heart-cleaning.”  The best way to keep the tongue under control is to keep our heart under control. There is a scripture in the Old Testament that says, “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my concerns. See if there is any offensive way in me; lead me in the everlasting way.”

Boom…there you go.  We need to ask God to give us a day-by-day heart checkup and if He finds anything that doesn’t belong there…ask Him to take care of it.   Often that will include leading you down a different path…a better path…a right path.  One thing I have learned about God is that He really does want to help us do the right thing…including managing our hurtful misspeaks.  If you are like me and sometimes struggle with what you say, just ask and He will help you…every time…anytime.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Holidays, life, love, New Year, Scripture, thankful, wisdom

Shrek…Once Too Many

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “If you love Me, obey My commandments.” John 15:13

It was just hilarious…till it wasn’t. In May of 2001 a film was released.  It was simply titled, “Shrek.” I don’t have time to go into the details but it was an animated film.  One of my friends asked me if I had seen it and I told him I had not.  He told me it was a must see.  So…I did. Well, the bottom line is it turned out to be one of the funniest films I have ever seen.  So, when I got to our small group at church, I joined the, “you gotta see it” club. We would sit around the room telling our favorite parts of the movie, all the while laughing till our sides hurt.  I watched it again and again and again.  And then…it happened.

A while later, I sat down in from of the television to watch it again. As the film started, as the credits rolled, I waited for the first hilarious scene.  It came and went but the most I could muster was a slight chuckle.  And so it was for the rest of the movie.  Somehow I had become so familiar with the movie that it had lost its appeal…its humor.  And, to this day, I watch Shrek with only a mild interest.  Like I said, it was funny, till it wasn’t.

I’m not sure how that happened but it might be like tuna casserole.  You see, when I was in the fifth grade our school served tuna casserole…which, at that time I liked…a lot. That day, I enjoyed the hefty helping they plopped on my plate but later that evening I got food poisoning.  It wasn’t pretty.  From then till now, I rarely if ever eat tuna casserole.  I guess I was scarred for life.  Now I didn’t get food poisoning from Shrek but you might say, rather than remembering what made me laugh…I remembered what didn’t.  So long Shrek!

Familiarity can be a great thing as long as it doesn’t keep us from loving and enjoying the things that matter.  The whole “familiarity breeds contempt thing” can be a dangerous separator.  Let’s make sure we guard the things that matter.  Whether it is your family, or your faith, or your career, make it a habit to look for the good while choosing to ignore the not so good.  Choose to remember why you love someone or something and never allow the dullness of familiarity to creep in. If you do keep it fresh, the result will be a renewing affection for the things that matter and a fleeting attraction for the things that don’t.

Jesus said, “if you love Me keep My commandments.”  He wasn’t trying to grow a “let’s keep the rules club” but rather a way to help us keep our love for Him ever before us. He wanted to help us keep our love like a fresh wind blowing through our lives and not like a funny line heard too many times in a movie. So, in 2025, let’s work to keep our love for Him like the first time I saw Shrek—ready to see it again—ready to experience it again. Of course, if you find yourself struggling with all of this, just remember how much He cares and His desire to help you do life.  You can rest assured that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Grace, Integrity, life, Scripture, spiritual battles, Uncategorized

Inside and Out: Bumping Vs Mapping

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

“But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” 1 Samuel 16:7 

They sure looked alike. A while back I told you about a robot vacuum we had bought that would help clean our house. It was really quite amazing. It was rechargeable and even knew when it was time to go home and get recharged. I think most amazing of all was the fact that it would “map” our house, remembering how each room was laid out and where it had already been and where it needed to go. Well, all good things have to come to an end. After about a year, we noticed that her charge didn’t last as long as it had before. Instead of running about an hour it would go for about 30 or 40 minutes and then it would simply announce that it was going home to recharge.

I quickly figured out that her time at the Taylor house was limited and we were right. Suddenly, and without warning, she would just—die. Instead of going home we would find her in the middle of the floor deader than a doornail. We would carry her back to the charging station and while she would eventually come back to life—it was never for very long. It was time to look for a replacement.

I went to eBay (an online shopping site) to find what we needed. Before long I found what appeared to be her sister, same brand and almost the same model—in fact—it was a new model. The price was right, I placed the order and in about a week she was sitting in our living room. We charged her up and mashed the go button. Well, rather quickly we realized that something was very different about this one. She didn’t seem to know where to go and would often go over the same area again and again. She would bump into something and then randomly turn.  We figured out soon, to use a historical quote, “Uh, Houston, we have a problem.”

We thought she was defective but in fact she wasn’t. It turned out that while they looked alike on the outside they were in fact radically different inside. Our first friend had a feature called “mapping.” This enabled it to learn the layout of our rooms. It knew where to go, it knew where it had been, and it knew where home was. It wasted little time uselessly bumping and running into things. The new one was wired totally different. It had what the company called, “bump technology.” Call it what you want but the truth was it it just about useless. So as it turned out it may have looked the same, it may have sounded the same, it may have had the same name but inside it was different. Inside.It.Was.Different.

You might know where this is going but let me help. What is true about our two vacuum friends is true about people. When it comes to Jesus, what really matters is not the outside, though that is important, what matters is what Jesus has done on the inside. Religion can dress up the outside but only Jesus can change what matters—and what is the inside—the heart. In God’s opinion the heart always trumps appearance.  That is what God told Samuel, the preacher in the Old Testament, when He said, “Don’t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord doesn’t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” It was true then and it is true now.

So if you are in the market for a robot vacuum, be sure and read all about it. And as you do life, remember, don’t waste time bumping into walls instead let Jesus map your life by giving you a new heart. You won’t regret it and you will quickly find out that, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, friends, life, Scripture, Southern born, thankful

Fruit Salad and Potlucks

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul.” Acts 13:1

Fruit salad anyone? I love food. I love all kinds of food and yes, occasionally I love a lot of food. I don’t know if it is because of my southern roots or my forty-two years of a pastor but the bottom line is food is a big part of my life. But wait…there is more. You see there are certain foods that I like a lot but I know that if my entire diet consisted of just one or two things, things would get boring pretty fast. That is one reason I love a potluck at church.

What is a potluck? Well, it is when all the folks at any given church put some food in a pot, brings it to church and shares it. And, with any luck at all, you end up with a really great meal.  When I was growing up we also used to call it, “dinner on the grounds.” That usually happened for a special occasion such as homecoming. In the South, the weather was usually pretty warm. At the church I was raised at, we had a long outdoor table covered by a tin roof. When the appointed day and time came, we would go outside, put on the food on that long table, pray, and then feast. I really never thought of it before but I guess I am grateful that we really didn’t have dinner “on the ground.”  Once again, some of my favorite memories is of sharing food at church. Call it potluck or call it dinner on the grounds—it was always good.

The vast variety of food was one thing that made the meal so special and I think it helped us learn an unintended lesson. Variety in life, and especially in the church, is not a bad thing.  In fact, it is a blessed thing.  When God designed the church, He designed it so that it was made up of many different people. Paul, the guy in the New Testament, wrote about the fact that just like our body needs different parts—so does the church. In fact, often the greater the variety, the stronger the church. There is a scripture found in the New Testament book of Acts. In chapter 13 and verse 1, we read, “Among the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch of Syria were Barnabas, Simeon (called “the black man”), Lucius (from Cyrene), Manaen (the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas), and Saul.”

Talk about variety, we learn that among the leaders of the church at Antioch there was a guy named Barnabas.  His named means encourager and that is exactly what he was. If you were a little blue he was the guy to see. Next we learn that this church certainly didn’t have any problems with race because Simeon, a black man, was invited into the leadership.  They didn’t see color—and we shouldn’t either. But wait—there is more. The guy named Lucius wasn’t a local guy—in fact—he was from out of town—way out of town—all the way from Cyrene. Perhaps most unusual was Mamean who was a childhood friend of King Herod Antipas and we all know he was a bad guy. Finally we have Saul, who later became Paul, who was a Jesus hater turn Jesus lover and someone God used to literally change the world.

Amazing isn’t it? It is humorous that we can’t even agree on the simple things like what translation of the Bible or what kind of music to play in church. It would seem that if Antioch in Syria could get right, maybe we should too! You see, God puts people in the Body, the church, as He sees fit and since He never gets it wrong we should learn to love the church like Jesus loved the church. So think about it.  Who is there in your church that you struggle to love? How about asking God to help you love them and accept them. After all, with His help all things are possible. He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in birthday, Christmas, Family, friends, gratitude, Holidays, life, New Year, Scripture

Happy Birthday!

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies display his craftsmanship.” Psalm 19:1

Here we are again. It seems like yesterday I was celebrating my 70th birthday and today…well it’s number 71st! It’s funny how quickly these things sneak up, right? They say age is just a number, and a birthday is just a date on the calendar, but the number keeps getting bigger, and that date seems to come around way too fast.

I’ve always thought birthdays were cool, even though mine’s right after Christmas. Growing up, it was always special when friends and family remembered it. I mean, it’s easy to forget when everyone’s still in Christmas mode.

Turns out, my birthday actually falls on a pretty special day. Way back in the day (like, really back), January 6th was when people celebrated Christmas. So technically, I was born on Christmas Day! Then, a pope came along and decided to change it, so… goodbye Christmas. But hey, I still get to claim that cool little connection. Also, January 6th is known as Epiphany, when the three wise men, led by a brilliant star,  supposedly visited Jesus. Honestly, we’re not even sure there were three of them, and the Bible hints that they didn’t show up until a couple of years later. But whatever—it still makes my birthday feel extra special!

So, we just wrapped up Christmas—the time time when we celebrate Jesus’ birth. But here’s the thing—sometimes, even His birthday gets lost in the shuffle. With all the hustle, the shopping, the family gatherings, and traditions (which I do love, by the way), it’s easy to forget the real reason we’re celebrating. Same thing happens at Easter, too. And honestly, in a world moving at “500 mph,” we can easily let this happen every day. As Jesus followers, we’ve got to make sure He stays front and center, not just at Christmas, but all year long.

Anyway, this isn’t really about my birthday. (Okay, maybe a little bit, but not really.) It’s more about remembering Jesus—keeping Him at the forefront of our minds and hearts. It’s about making sure He gets the attention He deserves, Christmas or not. So next time you look up at the stars, think about that bright one that announced His birth over 2,000 years ago. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.”

Sure, we put candles on a cake, but God lit up the whole sky with stars, and created everything we see. Pretty amazing, huh? So even though Christmas is behind us, let’s keep Jesus at the front of everything. No matter what we face, it’s great to know that “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in birthday, Easter, food, life, pride, priorities, Scripture, Trials

Igor

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”  James 1:3

His name was Jason…I called him Igor.  It was a long time ago and it was one of those times when it was time to do something.  The high humidity in my closet had once again shrunk most of my clothes.  It is just one of the hazards of living in Southern Illinois between the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers.  While it is always the worst in summer, somehow, it manages to shrink my clothes right after the holidays too.  So, rather than go out and buy new duds, I just try and lose a few pounds.

One Sunday morning at church I mentioned to a good friend of mine that I was going to try and shed a few pounds.  Well, he said to me, “Dewayne, I’ve got a personal trainer at the gym and how about if I arrange for you to see him three times a week.  By Easter, you will be a new man.”  I had never seen, much less had, a personal trainer, so it sounded like a good idea to me.  Maybe he could speed up the weight loss so I could get back to my bad eating habits…that I greatly enjoyed.

For my birthday, Judy and I drove over to Evansville on a mission to get me a couple of sets of gym clothes.  We got to Sears, and they had what used to be called running suits on sale.  That’s what they used to call them.  Now they call them obsolete. Anyway, I bought one.  It had the pants and the jacket, and I looked like, well, a dude.  I was to start working out with Jason, the trainer, on Monday.  I put on my fancy running outfit and drove over to the gym.  I opened the door and instantly realized that I was way overdressed. Remember the joke about the guy being told that he was going to a costume party, so he dressed up and nobody else did?  Well, I was that guy. Bummer.

I soon met Jason and he kinda explained what we would be doing over the next few months.  He explained that he was going to make my body hurt…a lot. Well, he didn’t actually say that but that was the reality.  After our first workout on the first day I could barely walk to my car.  The next morning, I wasn’t sure I was going to live. Fortunately, I was meeting with Jason every other day, so I had a day to decide if I was going to live or not.  By the end of the week, I had changed Jason’s name to Igor because I was sure he got some sort of sick pleasure out of watching me suffer.  And I did suffer…a lot.

Over our time together, we did lots of fun things, but my absolute favorite was squat thrusts.  It was some kind of deal when you squatted down and then kicked your legs out the back.  Then you returned to the squat position before standing back up.  I’ve obviously never had a baby, so I have no idea what labor pains feel like.  But I do know this.  If leg squats are even 20% like a labor pain, then if the repopulation of the world depended on me it would be a very small world.  Total population:  One.

Well, I don’t remember making it to Easter.  Things did get toned up a bit, but I wouldn’t exactly say I was a new man.  I did get a new perspective on these guys and ladies who go to the gym and apply self-inflicted Igor-ism.  That is the self-infliction of Igor like pain on themselves. You’ve got to admire them—but as for me that would be from outside the torture chamber—uh, I mean gym.

Now there is one thing I need to make sure is clear.  Igor, I mean Jason, had my best interest in mind.  He was trying to help me reach my goals and help me be in better physical condition. It just wasn’t a pleasant experience…at least not on the front end anyway.  But do you know what?  Rarely are the things that really matter.  I know the Bible teaches me that trials are not easy, and they are never fun, but they are profitable because they teach me endurance. That’s what James, Jesus’ little half-brother, meant when he said that when our faith is tested, our endurance has a chance to grow. Going through the hard stuff strengths our faith.  And, trust me, that is a good thing.

Shortly after I quit going to be with Igor at the gym, I ran into him at one of the stores in town.  When I ran into him, I wanted to run from him.  But we chatted and he asked how I was doing.  I said fine.  He said he missed seeing me at the gym, and I made some kind of flimsy excuse, like I had a rare terminal African disease.  I don’t think he bought it.  So, we parted our ways. I was grateful for his help, but I was also grateful that my gym days were over.  I’ve just got to be sure I don’t give up on my real personal trainer—Jesus.  Like Jason knew what was best to help me physically, He knows what is best for me spiritually.  He encourages me, always has my best interests at heart, and never makes a wrong call. He allows me to pace myself and allows me to rest when I need it.  He’s the best life trainer of all. And I know this for certain.  If I falter or fail, He will always be there because, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne 

Posted in forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Messes to Masterpieces

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10 

Messes. Yup…been there and done that. All of us have made a mess at one time or another. Sometimes it is a spilt drink at the dinner table. Sometimes something slips from our hand and onto the floor. Sometimes we get way too much paint on the brush or roller and we go from masterpiece maker to mess maker. The old saying says, “We shouldn’t cry over spilt milk” and I get it but sometimes it is just so frustrating. But wait! A spilt glass of milk or a splattering paint roller is one thing but what if the mess is a broken marriage?  A broken heart? What if the mess costs you thousands or a couple of years of your life? You see messes can have huge consequences.

I’m glad to let you know that when there is a mess on aisle three there is someone who can clean it up.  I’m glad to let you know that there is someone who can take the mess on the wall and turn it into a masterpiece. The other day I was reading a story that is pretty amazing and the best part is that it is true.  It all happened over a hundred years ago when a group of fishermen were relaxing in the dining room of a Scottish seaside inn, trading fish stories. Well, one of the men gestured widely, depicting the size of a fish that got away. Accidentally, his arm struck the server’s tea tray, sending the teapot flying into and on the whitewashed wall, where its contents left an irregular and very large brown splotch.

The innkeeper heard the commotion and came out of the kitchen and into the dining room. With a groan of dismay, he surveyed the damage and sighed, “The whole wall will have to be repainted.” “Perhaps not,” offered a stranger. “Let me work with it.” Having nothing to lose, the owner agreed. The man pulled pencils, brushes, some jars of linseed oil, and pigment out of an art box. He sketched lines around the stains and dabbed shades and colors throughout the splashes of tea. What happened next was almost too hard to believe.

After an hour or so, an image began to emerge: a stag with a great rack of antlers. It was nothing short of amazing. Then, the man who had turned the mess into a beautiful picture, signed his name at the bottom, paid for his meal, and left. His name: Sir Edwin Landseer, famous painter of wildlife. And what was not obvious soon became so.  In his hands, a mess became a masterpiece. Wait…think about it. A.Mess.Became.Masterpiece. Amazing.

But here is something more amazing.  You see, in God’s hands this happens time after time after time.  As He works in the messes of our lives He can take the biggest mess and turn it into the most magnificent masterpiece rendering them as beautiful expressions of His great love. The result is our lives become a gallery of pictures—examples of the incredible wealth of His favor and kindness towards us.

So let’s be honest. Messes are going to happen and no that isn’t an excuse for sloppy living but neither does it mean we are worthless and hopeless. No, we are His masterpieces—trophies of His amazing grace. Each day we see examples of His creative grace that are always signed—I’ve got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in fear, friends, life, prayer, pride, Scripture, sovereignty of God, spiritual battles

Happy New Year

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.”Romans 8:28

I slowly walked to the edge, paused, and…”. Well, it was a long time ago but most of the picture remains intact.  I was about nine years old, and our church Sunday School decided to have a picnic.  We loaded up on a bus or two and drove to the lake.  It was a natural freshwater lake with a beach and a dock.  And speaking of docks…this was a big one.  It left the shore and went out about a mile…well, it seemed like a mile…remember I was only nine.  In fact, it probably went out about fifty yards or so.  Then it made a 90 degree right turn and went on for another fifty yards.  By any standard it was a long dock.

However, it was what was at the end of the dock that caused me to pause.  There, built into the dock was the “Tower of Terror.”  Now for those of you who are familiar with Disney World you know that is the name for one of their attractions.  You are taken inside a building and end up in the dark (mostly) and then without warning…the floor gives way and you are falling for what seems like forever.  Now all this is speculation and hearsay for me because trust me I would never, will never find out personally. No. Not. Nada.  But that day when I was nine, I faced my own “Tower of Terror.”

The tower at the lake that day was probably thirty or forty feet in the air.  You climbed a ladder attached to the tower and at the top was a pretty good-sized platform.  This was where you could stand, look, and gather courage to walk to the edge and jump off.  Well, pushed by peer pressure and goaded by friends, I somehow found myself on the top and they were all saying one thing, “Jump!” Trust me, the last thing that I wanted to do was jump off that perfectly good tower.  I walked slowly to the edge and looked down.  The water seemed to be a zillion yards below me. There were only two options.  First, take the plunge or two, go back down the ladder.  With my heart pounding, with my peers all telling me to jump, I….

I honestly don’t remember what I did. I don’t know if I finally overcame my fear, swallowed my pride and jumped or swallowed my pride and slowly, with great humiliation, went back down the ladder.  Either one at the time felt unbearable and I know one thing even today…fear can paralyze you and fear can cause you to make some pretty crazy decisions.  Most of us personally know the truth in those words.

Well, today we find ourselves at the edge of another kind of platform…and for some, it might look like a “tower of terror.”  We are hours away from a New Year and honestly it can seem quite frightening…especially these days and with these circumstances. Considering all this, what should we do? What can we do?  Well, it seems logical to me that when I face something bigger than me, I need to find something or Someone bigger than the mountain, the obstacle that I am facing.  For me, hands down, that is God.  

There are two truths that I have found in God’s Word that really help me.  Maybe it will help you too.  First, is the sovereignty of God.  That simply means that God is in charge. I love the scripture that reminds me that every day is made by God…He is the owner and therefore the planner. It also means that He is in control…He.Is.In.Control. There is something peaceful in knowing that God is and if He is…well, worry shouldn’t rule us. But it gets better.

Not only does He make every day, He also makes us an incredible promise.  If you are a Bible person you probably know this one.  In the book of Romans, Chapter 8, it says, “God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him and who are called according to His purpose.”  Wow.  While that doesn’t mean that everything is good…we know that…it does mean that God can bring good from every circumstance.  What that also means is we have a promise from God that no matter how wonky 2025 may be, He can and will bring something good from it.  Now the truth of that should certainly bring some inner peace into the chaos of our lives.  

So, the bottom line is, “Happy New Year!” The God who makes the day makes the year and the God who makes the year manages the outcome.  Hey, sprinkling a little truth into a murky future can change a lot of things.  Now all of that isn’t a promise of easy but it is a promise of His faithfulness and that no matter what, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne