Tag: Bible

Posted in communication, Family, Grace, prayer, priorities, Scripture, spiritual battles, Trials

Be Still

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Be still, and know that I am God!” Psalm 46:10

It was a gentle reminder.  One Sunday before we chose to step back from the busy world of full-time ministry, we were driving to church and heard a soft “ding.” A quick look at the dash told us why.  Our car has a built-in thermometer and when the temperature dips to 39 degrees, it sounds a soft chime to let us know that the temperature outside has reached a point where the roads might be slippery because of ice or snow. It is a great idea because sometimes we get too busy to notice and then, well, it can lead to a mess.  I wish life sometimes had a little “ding” too. Let me explain.

A while back I had one of those crazy schedules that was just jam-packed.  I knew it was going to be busy. I knew it was going to be crazy but for some reason that didn’t make me hit the brakes and slow down.  It all started on Monday…well, make that Sunday.  Sunday for me was preaching twice Sunday morning but that particular week we also had an evening service to prepare for a special event happening at our church…which was part of the crazy.  I spent the afternoon getting Grits ready for that week and the next…so, add in a little more crazy.  Now back to Monday.  Monday, I had the privilege of officiating at the funeral service for a church member who happened to be a good friend too.  Because of that it was especially emotionally draining for me.  I felt the loss…we all did.

I returned to the office that afternoon and finished out the day and woke up early on Tuesday to speak on “The Baptist Hour,” a radio program that we sponsor on the first of every month.  Then it was off to the office to prepare for the rest of the week.  In the late afternoon, we packed our bags to attend a state meeting two and a half hours away.  We arrived that night, slept and woke up to a twelve-hour day of conferences and meetings. It was just about then I should have been listening for the little warning chime because certainly it was going off.

Thursday morning began with more meetings before leaving for home. After driving for two and a half hours, we got back in time to serve at our outreach event.  I was one of the speakers and we got to the church at about 5:00 pm and got home about 10:30 pm.  Friday, the day I usually call my day off, was filled with more study and a return trip to the church for the event. Was that a “ding” I heard?   Then Sunday…well, it was Sunday, and our first service began at 8 am.

Now all of that wasn’t written to whine about a crazy week…it was to warn you that, chime or no chime, when things get crazy…be careful you don’t. So, like the chime in my car, I needed something to let me know it was time to restock, to replenish.  While God doesn’t give out chimes, He does give us His Spirit. I love a verse tucked away in Psalm 46:10. It says, “Be still and know I am God.” Be still…literally, “stop striving” and know that He is God. He wants to be our warning chime but to hear Him we must slow down and listen.

I shared a quote a couple of weeks ago, but didn’t personally apply it. It said, “Sometimes the most spiritual thing we can do is take a nap,” or maybe just get away. So, after church that Sunday, we did a little more crazy. We packed our bags and headed to New Orleans for a five-day cruise. We were grateful for a time to physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually recover. This quiet time was a gift from God to us…a time to be still and know that He really is God.  I hope this story will help you stop before you reach the tipping point. But if you do, if we do, at least we know, no matter what, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Family, fear, friends, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, spiritual battles, thankful

Guarding the Flame

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Again, Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Most mornings, I watch that little flame fade. I’m all about creating an atmosphere for my morning routine. First thing I do is I crank up the lights in my home office. I flip the switch on the wall and tell my buddy-ette Alexa to turn on the “office” lights. Boom! Instant brightness. Check.

Next up, I pop a K-cup into my Keurig and in a couple of minutes, I’ve got my coffee ready. Check. Right next to the coffee maker is a table with a three-wick candle. I light that up and settle into my chair, firing up my electric fireplace. At that point, I’m finally ready to check the weather and dive into my Jesus time. Check. Check. Check.

But eventually, I have to wrap things up, and that means turning off the lights and putting out the candle. There are a couple of ways to do it, but I always go for the easy route. I put the metal lid on the jar, and that’s when I watch the flame slowly go out. At first, it flickers, but then it weakens until it’s just gone. It’s a little sad to see it die because I know what’s happening. The lid cuts off the oxygen, and without that, the flame can’t survive.

Every time I see this, it reminds me of life. We all need to keep our hope, love, faith, and purpose alive. These are the things that give us a reason to get up in the morning and keep pushing forward. If we let them starve, it’s only a matter of time before life feels dull, and what once burned brightly is just a smoldering wick.

So, how does that happen? There are tons of reasons, and they vary for each of us, but often it feels like a lid gets clamped down on our lives, and just like that candle, the flame starts to fade. Hope turns into despair, love gets overshadowed by hurt, and fear quietly snuffs out our faith. Before we know it, we’re left wondering why we even bother. Sound familiar? It definitely has for me—too often I’ve put that “lid of limits” on my own flame.

The only way I’ve found to keep the flame alive is by nurturing a close relationship with the One who created me. The hope, love, and purpose I find through my faith in Him create an atmosphere that keeps the fire burning. Even if you’re unsure about the whole God thing, I encourage you to rethink it and spark—or reignite—a relationship with Him. Don’t just go with what society says or what your coworkers think. Check Him out for yourself. Start by diving into the Bible, the most trusted book around. Try chatting with Him; it might feel weird at first, but hey, so did your first conversation with your first love. It’s totally worth it if it means your flame starts to glow again.

Every morning, I take off that lid and light the candle, and each day it bursts back to life, bringing warmth and that satisfying aroma. Why not let this friend I call my Dearest Daddy add some light to your life? Jesus said He’s the light of the world, and anyone who follows Him won’t walk in darkness. It’s like He’s saying, “Trust me… I’ve got this.” — Bro. Dewayne

Posted in food, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, spiritual battles, thankful, Trials

Seasoning for the Seasons

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

If the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.” Matthew 5:13b

Man..that would have to be bland.  I was talking to someone the other day and they said something that caught my ear.  They said, “I don’t like salt.”  Wait. What?  I mean I’ve heard lots of people say that they don’t use salt.  The reason is usually a doctor or a spouse that has laid down the law.  It is usually medically driven, and you do without it so you can keep on doing.  But this person said he didn’t like salt. That is just hard to imagine.

You all probably know that I love food…just about all kinds, all flavors, and all portions.  But food without seasoning just kinda takes away the whole point.  You know what Jesus said don’t you?  He said that salt that has lost it savor…its flavor…its ability to influence is worthless.  “Chuck it out on the sand pile,” he said.  Imagine grits with no salt, green beans with no salt (or fatback…oh my), mashed potatoes with no salt (wait that might even be a sin) and the list just goes on and on.  At least for me it becomes a gray world where eating becomes something you have to do instead of something you want to do…you crave to do.

I was listening to a short devotional video that sparked all this thinking about seasoning and salt.  The person said we should allow God’s Word to marinate our lives.  Let me explain.  I like chicken.  I really like fried chicken. I especially like fried chicken that has been dipped in a good dry mixture of spices—how many does the Colonel use? Or maybe it is a wet batter just waiting to be plunged to a frying pan of hot grease.  Can someone say hallelujah?

Believe it or not there are other ways to eat chicken and one of the most popular is grilled chicken. I’m a fan of that too but especially when the chicken has been marinated in some sort of marinade.  You see, as the chicken takes a bath in whatever it is the flavor of the marinade slowly seeps into the chicken…changing it from just chicken to something that is just about heavenly.  Are you tracking with me?  So, the bottom line just seems to be the things that we season our food with changes the whole experience.  It is true with food…and it is true with life.

An unseasoned life can be boring and at the same time a life seasoned with the wrong things can be disastrous.  It is important that we allow the right things to influence us.  The wrong environments, the wrong company, the wrong media habits, and the wrong mindset can all set us up for a life that at the least is less than and at the most leaves us depressed, discouraged, and disillusioned.  Just like with food…the seasonings matter.  Colonel Sanders talks about his secret blend of seasoning and spices, but I don’t want this to be a secret.

You see, as I have journeyed through the kitchen of life (and trust me I have ended up in a few frying pans) I have discovered the secret to a well-seasoned life.  Are you ready?  It is a personal relationship with the God who created it all.  Now wait…don’t close the book yet.  Notice I didn’t say religion, I didn’t say church, I didn’t say doing this or doing that…I said a personal encounter with the God who loves me and you enough to give His Son to a Roman cross.  When you add that kind of love to your life…it’s gotta be good.  Smucker’s (they make jams and jelly) says this, “If it is Smucker’s it has to be good.”  I’ve had their stuff, and it is pretty sweet…no pun intended.

Well, let me tell you, if it is God, contrary to what you have heard, it must be for your good.  Now I’m not talking about the version you see too often in the lives of people…I am talking about the version that you find in His book…the Bible.  So, if you are thinking about adding some seasoning to your life, let me encourage you to get a copy of the Bible and try reading about Jesus.  You might want to start in the Gospel (which means Good News) of John.  Using the index will make it easy to find.  What you discover will change the flavor of your life.  If you are finding that things in your world are just a little or a lot bland—ask the Master Chef—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, life, loving others, Military memories, prayer, Southern born, spiritual battles, Trials

Speak No Evil

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, “Where are your accusers? Didn’t even one of them condemn you?” “No, Lord,” she said. And Jesus said, “Neither do I. Go and sin no more.” John 8:10-11

It’s gonna happen…it just should not happen there.  Life is filled with bumps and bruises.  They’re gonna happen like it or not but sometimes they are made worse by the timing and location.  A flat tire is never fun but take that same flat tire and let it happen on a rainy Monday on the way to an interview for a new job and it is just worse.  Your car breaking down is just a bad deal but when it happens out in the middle of nowhere and with no cellphone service…well, your day just went south.

I once experienced something that well, it just shouldn’t have happened but where it happened and how it happened just made it worse.  It was a Sunday morning in South Georgia and like any other Sunday morning I was in church.  I went to church for several reasons…like it was the right thing to do, I thought it might make God happy and usually I enjoyed it.  On this particular day…well, let’s just say I had that proverbial flat tire on a rainy Monday out in the middle of nowhere.  The story goes like this.

Ever since I was a kid I liked to sing, and people said they enjoyed it.  So, I was occasionally asked to sing at church.  On this particular Sunday morning I was asked to sing.  Now there is something you need to know before we go any further.  You see, the church I attended was strict with certain things and one of those things was that guys should not have hair over their ears.  That was a big no, no.  And believe it or not, even though I was in the Air Force I had found a way to have hair over my ears.  It involved “Dippity-do” but that’s another story.

Well, that Sunday was my time to sing.  I went to the stage and did the very best I could to sing for Jesus.  With my “hair over my ears” waving in the wind I went up and I came down.  I was glad to sing but was also glad it was over.  Well, it wasn’t.  Because that Sunday we had a special speaker.  And because of what happened, I remember him very, very, well.  He stepped behind the pulpit, and I got the surprise of my young life.  I was surprised because what he said was like a dagger in my heart.  Here’s what he said.

With his deep and authoritative voice, in front of the entire church, he said, “Young man, if I had hair like yours, I would be ashamed to stand up and sing for Jesus.”  I was shocked.  I was hurt.  I was mortally embarrassed.  Not because of my hair, not because I had caused Jesus to frown (which I didn’t) but because this man who represented God had put me on trial, judged me, and sentenced me.  Honestly, it’s a miracle I didn’t walk out and keep right on walking.

Like I said, things like this happen but they should never, ever happen in church.  We wonder why people don’t want to come to church and unfortunately too often it is things like this.  You see, church should be a safe place…a loving place.  Church should be a place not for perfect people (because there aren’t any) but for forgiven people.  Church should be a grace place and not a place to judge and throw rocks.  Church should be a place where people see Jesus everywhere…in the lives of everyone.

I love the fact that the people who flocked to Jesus were the most broken in the community.  They liked Him and He loved them. He was perfectly comfortable with sitting down with the worse sinner in town and having lunch.  Trust me, that drove the religious people crazy.  They said some very nasty things about Jesus because of that but the truth is…Jesus came to rescue the lost, the broken…people like me and you.

Well, the good news is I survived that Sunday morning, but it left a scar that remains to this day. My wife reminded me that my pastor came up afterwards and apologized.  I’m glad he did.  We need to have the courage to speak up when a wrong occurs…Jesus would. I can never get enough of the story in the Bible about the woman taken in adultery.  The rock throwers wanted to kill her but instead Jesus loved and forgave her.  I like that. A lot.  So, if you find yourself wounded by a rock chucker just remember Jesus loves you…even if someone else doesn’t.  And remember, no matter what, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, Scripture

When Bad News Meets Good News

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1

Some things were just better in the old days…like the weather report.  Back when the local weather was sponsored by one of the local oil brands and the weatherman wore a service station (that is a gas place where they pumped your gas, checked your oil and cleaned your windshield) uniform, things were so much simpler.  He would get his magic marker out and draw some symbols on his paper map and forecast the weather. It was easy.  If it was going to be hot…he would say it was going to be hot.  If it was going to be cold…he would say it was going to be cold.  If it was going to rain…he just laid it out in simple terms.  Yup…those were the days.

It kinda reminds me of my visit to a gift shop in the Smokey Mountains.  They had what they called a “Hillbilly Weather Station.”  It was a rock attached to a string.  It also had a card that went with it that said if the rock was hot, it was hot. If the rock was cold, it was cold. If the rock was wet, it was raining and finally, if the rock was swinging on the string, it was windy.  I like that and I think it’s probably accurate!  But today, they must give us a lot more information and most of the time I am grateful, except for this.

This is this.  Instead of simply saying it is going to be hot they must go a step further and give us what they call the “feel like temperature.”  In other words, if the temperature is going to be 90 degrees and there happens to be a bunch of humidity in the air, well, they let us know it is going to feel like 100 degrees and we are going to be extra miserable. And, if it is cold and there is a wind, well, just to make sure we know how miserable we really are, we have wind chill. Now I know their intent is good, but I just wish they wouldn’t go the extra mile in defining and describing my misery.

If that isn’t enough, the news folks seem to feel like they must top the weather folks.  They scrap up every bit of bad, discouraging, and disgusting news they can find and then read it to us with passion and glee.  It is almost like they want to say, “You only thought things were bad…just listen to this”.  And “this” is always about the awfulness of our broken world.  Yup, I think the weather and news people are in cahoots with one another to make sure we are miserable.

Well, if that isn’t enough, then there are some folks that we bump into in our world, and it seems they just can’t wait to slosh their negativity on someone else.  Like Eeyore in the Winnie the Pooh stories, theirs is a “woe is me” world.  Eeyore once said, “I wish I could say yes…but I can’t.”  Well, the truth is we can.  In a world where some choices are limited, the choice of how we act, and think, is all ours.  We get to choose what stories our “newscast” is going to cast and what report our “weather reporter” is going to report.

One of the reasons I love God is that He is a positive thinker.  His book, the Bible, is a reality check but it is also a book of good news.  In fact, when describing the story of how much God loves us and how He sent His son into this broken world to pay the price for our sin…it is called “the” Good News or Gospel.  And if you allow that Good News to be your good news—well it changes everything.  So, if you need a change, if you need some Good News, why not try the Bible.  It will tell you the truth, but that truth includes God’s incredible love for me and for you.

In a part of the Bible called the New Testament, John, one of Jesus’ closest followers wrote, “See how very much our Father loves us, for He calls us His children, and that is what we are!” Wow…the God who made it all loves us enough to call us His own.  Now that is worth hearing about and the place to go to hear it is His Word.  So, when you are feeling down and things look hopeless, why not look up…to the God who wants to be your Dearest Daddy.  Imagine a world of Good News…with Someone who is waiting to whisper to you, “Don’t worry.  I’ve got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, Grace, gratitude, life, missions, prayer, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, Trials

Don’t Move

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 119:105

Sing it, Willie, sing it.  It was around noon on a Tuesday in July when I could once again hear Willie’s words rolling around in my ears.  Yup, we were “on the road again” and this time we were going on a long and really big adventure.  My wife Judy and I, along with a couple of our friends, were going to England on a mission trip to love some folks from Africa who now live in England.  Africa has long held a special place in our hearts, so we were really excited about serving those special folks.

You probably have already figured out that we couldn’t drive to England, and you probably also know that these days anything to do with airports and planes can be just a little chaotic.  Well, this time was no different.  We got checked in, they were kind enough to relieve us of our luggage and then it was time to go through security.  I’ve done this enough to know the ropes. I wear pants that don’t require a belt and shoes that don’t have laces.  I put everything possible in my backpack, so my pockets are all empty…just the way the security people like it.  Check, check, and check. Not only was I on the road again but I was ready to roll through security.

Soon it was my turn to go through the security thingy.  There are two kinds of machines that they use.  First is the metal detector thingy and then there is the body scan thingy.  I drew the body scan thingy.  So, you step into this booth thing, put your feet on the two yellow shoe spots on the floor, raise your hands above your head and wait.  The person causally says, “Don’t move” and this thing takes a picture of your whole body and makes sure you don’t have anything that you shouldn’t.  Well, my rolling through security was about to hit a snag.  And it all started with me trying to do the right thing.

As I stepped into the booth and raised my hands, I quickly glanced down and noticed one of my feet was not on the yellow spot. So, I slid my foot over.  Unfortunately, that was just about the time that she mashed the magic button and, well, I failed the test.  She asked me to step out and told me, “You moved.”  So I said, “Well, let’s just do it again.”  “Oh no,” she said, “anyone who moves gets a special prize.  You get to have a full body search.  Please step over here.” Bewildered and wondering, I stepped over.

Soon, there was an officer, explaining and apologizing for what was about to happen.  There was no magic metal detecting wand, no, he had to check me out…carefully.  So, well, it wasn’t fun, it was embarrassing, and I learned an important lesson about those two words, “Don’t move.”  You see, in the end it didn’t matter that my intentions were good.  In the end it didn’t matter that I was trying to do the right thing.  The only thing that mattered is that I moved…I broke the rules and because of that there was a price to pay. Bummer.

Well, here is the deal.  That is true in airport security…trust me, I know.  But it is also true in life.  We often seem to think that the rules of life were meant for someone else.  Or often we just assume that we can get a “do over.”  Well, here is a news flash.  The rules of life apply to everyone…the rich and famous and the everyday Joe.  And very often, there is not a do over. There’s an old saying that says, “do the crime and you’ll do the time.” Well, I sure learned that applies to airport security. Smile.

One of the things I love to share is that when God gave us the Bible it wasn’t to hurt us…it was to help us.  It wasn’t a book to put us in shackles but rather a Book to set us free.  I know that when I pay attention to His Word, I have fewer regrets and smaller circumstances.  Trust me…it is true.  So, even if you aren’t a God person, you might want to check out the Bible.  It sure seems that life just goes better when we follow His rules and take His advice.

In the Bible it says that God’s Word is like a lamp to guide our feet and a light for our path. If you’ve ever walked in a dark room or down a dark path, you know the value of a flashlight.  Starting today, why not let the Word of God be your flashlight?  Better yet why not invite God to be your guide? After all, He knows the way, has never made a mistake, and is just waiting to help you. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

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

Mirror, Mirror – Tell Me True

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus.” Romans 8:1

I often avoid them like the plague.  Mirrors and I have a complex relationship.  While I enjoy mirrors in a room…I don’t enjoy me in the mirrors.  They say that mirrors have a way of making a room look larger and brighter.  But it is a whole different story when I stand before one.  You see, the mirror reminds me of just how imperfect I am.  I look and see all the ways I need to be better and find myself not really loving the man in the mirror.

Sometimes that is not the case.  A friend of mine owned a home in Florida, and he was kind enough to let my family vacation there in the summer.  It was a beautiful home with a pool and a hot tub, and we always felt so special when we stayed there.  But there was one more thing that I liked a lot.  You see, in the master bedroom, there was a free-standing mirror. It was taller than me…though that isn’t saying a lot…and for some reason it made me look…taller and thinner.  Yup, that’s the truth.  I would stand in front of that mirror, and it made me look like I had grown an inch or two and dropped a few pounds. Now that is my kind of mirror.

It didn’t matter that I really hadn’t lost any weight.  What mattered was how the mirror made me feel.  I felt better about the man in the mirror…or at least that mirror. While I regularly avoid mirrors even today, that was one mirror I intentionally sought out.  Now the bottom line is life is filled with mirrors. First and foremost is the one in our own mind.  That is the most critical mirror of all.  Given half a chance we will find ourselves standing and staring at the mirror of our mind and discovering all the warts and flaws of our life.  It is not a good mirror to gaze into.

There is another mirror and that is the mirror of public opinion.  We live in a world where people are far too free with their opinion of others.  Opinions are fine…everyone has one but for some reason when it comes to our opinion of others, often they are critical and painful.  Because of that, if we are not careful, we walk in a room just waiting for someone to roll the mirror out…waiting for a reminder just how imperfect we are.

Our enemy the devil is the best at using mirrors.  He whispers in our ear constantly reminding us of all our flaws and reminding us that it must be simply impossible for God to love us.  Who could love a person like us and sadly, we often stand there in front of his mirror and listen to his cutting remarks.  Unfortunately, we even believe what he says…even when we know it is not true.  But unlike the mirror in Florida, there is a mirror that we can always trust and that always guides us in truth.  It is the mirror of God’s Word.

You see, the Bible, the oldest and most trusted of all sacred writings is not a book of bondage but rather a book of freedom.  It is a love note from our Dearest Daddy in heaven and in it He reminds us just how much He loves us and just how keen He is on us.  From Genesis to Revelation, He speaks words over us of love and affirmation.  Ever wonder just how fond He is of you?  Well, fond enough to send His Son to a Roman cross to pay the price for our mistakes and sins.  Amazing.

So, it seems like we need to make a choice.  Which mirror will we choose to stand before?  Will we allow our minds to fill us with self-condemnation?  Will we let the mirror of public opinion determine our self-worth and self-image?  Will we continue to allow Satan to whisper his lies into our hearts and minds?  Or will we choose the mirror of God’s Word?   There is a letter that Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome.  In that letter, he tells them, “There is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.”  In other words, to the ones who have chosen to believe and follow Jesus, all charges are dropped. While we still won’t be perfect…we will be perfectly forgiven.  How about that?

As you journey through life today, choose to believe the mirror of God’s Word.  Oh my, He is so proud to call you His child. He has never regretted allowing you to be a part of His family.  Go ahead, read His love note, the Bible, you will find it written there. And if you listen carefully, you will hear Him whispering…not accusations but words of love.  Oh, and you might hear Him letting you know that no matter what, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, wisdom

At the Door

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear My voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.” Revelation 3:20

My doorbell can talk.  We are blessed at 217.  The original part of the house is well over a hundred years old. Back in those days it had a couple of bedrooms, a kitchen, a bathroom and probably a dining room.  Well, at the end of World War II a family bought it and totally remodeled it.  They added a living room, a couple more bedrooms and a breakfast area.  They took it from wood siding to brick and added a new front and rear entrance. And that is where my talking doorbell comes in.

I’ve always heard that backdoor friends are best and at our house that is the door we use and most of our guests use.  The front door is nice to look at, but it mostly sits there looking pretty.  But just in case someone wants to use it, we have a doorbell there and at the back door.  Well, I’m not sure how it works but when that occasional someone comes to the front door and mashes the doorbell, inside we get a ding-dong sound.  But, when someone comes to the backdoor, we get a ding and skip the dong.  It’s a nice way to know which door to go to…if we can remember which is which.

For whatever reason, sometimes we don’t hear the doorbell, but we have a backup system.  On the front door we have a knocker, and, in the event, we don’t respond quickly enough, we get a rap, rap, rap. The back door is just a little more old-fashioned.  There the backup is a knock, knock, knock.  The important thing is that we know someone is at the door and would like to come in.

There is a scripture in the New Testament part of the Christian Bible that talks about knocking at the door.  It is found in the book of the Revelation, and it describes Jesus standing at a door and He is knocking…desiring to come in.  And the verse also says that if we are willing to open that door He would like to come in and have a visit.  For some folks, perhaps His visit would be for the first time.  He is saying, “Let Me come and be a part of your life.” For others, it is like a good friend coming for a visit—you know a cup of coffee and a piece of pie kind of visit.  Either way, He is courteous enough to wait for us to respond.

In today’s world, unannounced guests are not too common. In fact, show up unannounced and you might get a strange look or two.  But in the time of Jesus, guests are always expected and always welcomed.  It is just the way that it was.  In our busy, hurry-up world, we are often too busy to take the time for a visit—even from a man like Jesus.  Each time He knocks on the door, He brings more than He takes.  He isn’t there to bother but to love. He isn’t there to judge but to bless.  It is one visit you don’t want to miss.

I know each of us at one time or another, deliberately ignore the door.  We are either too tired, too busy, or too something else.  But the next time you hear the doorbell of your life, the next time you hear the knock, knock, knock at the door of life, I hope you will go and see who is standing there.  It just might be Jesus and a visit from Him is always worth the time.  Maybe you can settle down in the living room and chat a while…maybe share a few worries or concerns.  And then, because it is just what he does, He will smile and tell us not to worry because, as always, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel, Trials

Nothing But the Truth…the Whole Truth

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

By His divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life.” 2 Peter 1:3

It was a cute little sign…if only it had told the whole story.  It all happened when I was in North Carolina and my wife Judy was back in Illinois.  If she had been with me this probably wouldn’t have happened.  I was at a conference and the schedule gives time off Tuesday afternoon just to relax or whatever. I decided to drive up to Mount Mitchell which is the highest point east of the Mississippi River.  It was only about thirty miles and best of all most of it was on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Because of the elevation, there was some beautiful color on some of the trees.

Judy and I had made this drive the previous year but on that particular day everything was “socked” in.  There were heavy clouds, a misty fog, a strong wind and it was quite chilly.  This year, the skies were blue, and the sun was shining bright.  While there was a wind, and it was still chilly…it made for a perfect day to see what God had been up to.  There’s an area called Craggy Rock and there is an observation place and a welcome center.  Well, before I got to that, I saw a sign that said Craggy Rock Picnic Area.  It looked interesting so I turned left.

When I got to the top and to the parking area I happened to see a sign.  I walked over and it said, “trail to welcome center.” It also gave the distance which was a mere eight tenths of a mile.  The round trip was just 1.6 miles and I do two miles a day regularly, so this wasn’t even a challenge.  I slipped on my boots, grabbed my walking stick and headed to the trail.  To get started there were about ten steps.  Well, this is where all the trouble started.  While the sign said where you were going and it even told you how far, it failed to mention the fact that it was all, and I do mean ALL, uphill.

Now there is uphill and there is UPHILL, and this one was exactly that.  In short order I was huffing and puffing like an old steam engine.  Now keep in mind I walk fast regularly.  None of that made a lick of difference.  This trail was a monster…a preacher killer if there ever was one.  Well, I finally made it to a shelter where I could sit down and try to catch my breath.  A couple of people showed up and I asked if they knew CPR and they quickly moved on…I was on my own.

Before I could stand, two more people came, and they were from Singapore. They spoke limited English, but they did assure me that the welcome center was somewhere ahead…about 500 meters he said.  So, I followed them and suddenly realized we were now going downhill about as steep as I had been going uphill.  I asked one more time how much farther it was to the welcome center, and he pointed down, way down in the valley.  It then occurred to me we had not parked in the same place.  My car was at the picnic area and his was at the welcome center.  He was almost back, and I was still heading away from my car.  I made a decision…a wise decision…a lifesaving decision.

I told them I was turning around, and they smiled and eventually, I made it back to the car.  I wanted to tell the little sign what I thought but figured it wouldn’t matter.  After all he had told the truth…just not the whole truth or the whole story.  Exhausted, it felt great to pull off my boots and get into the car. Soaked with sweat…I knew I was done. Maybe.

I went ahead and drove up to the top of Mount Mitchell, elevation 6,638 feet. When I got there, there was another little sign.  It said it was only 300 yards to the observation deck. I said, “Anyone can do 300 yards.” Well, off I went.  You know what, I am a slow learner.  Yup, it was only 300 yards…straight up.  At the top, huffing and puffing, I looked around and then headed down.  I had had my fill of “mountain goating” and it was time for this preacher to go take a nap. And I did.

The point of this story is simple.  Before you take a hike make sure the signs are telling you the truth.  And before you take a hike down the path of life, make sure the signs along the way are giving you all the information you need. If not, you might end up huffing and puffing and looking for someone who knows CPR.  May I make a suggestion?  Before up go, read the life hiking book, the Bible.  It is all true, and it gives you everything you need to succeed in your journey.  I didn’t see a ranger that day, but I can promise you there will be One as you hike the trails of life.  Some call Him God, some call Him Father, but I still like knowing He is my Dearest Daddy. And no matter what, He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

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

The Gift of Words

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings.” Proverbs 25:11

It is a Taylor Tribe tradition.  While I know it is June, sometimes you just need to talk about Christmas. For some reason, which I will share later, it has long been a tradition that at least some of the Taylor Tribe practices. After checking out all that Santa may have dropped off during the night, we all gather around in the living room and begin to open our presents. Here’s the Taylor Tribe way. One by one, gift by gift, we hand them out, one at a time and watch and wait as the person opens their gift. And then, when the gift is opened, the person receiving the gift, there and then takes the time to say thank you—usually followed by a hug.

You might be wondering why we do it this way. Well, I’m sure there are several reasons, but the best one is this.  It makes Christmas morning last as long as possible.  We want to savor the moments for as long as we can.  Try it and you just might like it. Oh, and the other reason is that magic moment of saying, “thank you.” We love it and we do it every year. Well, what does that have to do with here and how?  Well, the answer is our next adventure.

On our last Sunday at Dorrisville Baptist, our friends and the church graciously gave us several gifts.  One of them was a “special hat box” where people over the weeks before had placed cards—lots of cards. Well, because of the passing of my sister, it was almost three weeks before we could begin to open our cards.  But even when the time came, we decided to pretend it was Christmas. We slowly began opening the cards, savoring each one. More than a few of them contained gifts—mostly money and gift cards. Amazing.  But each card, every card contained another kind of gift—the gift of words.

Every card, and we are still opening some, contained words of love, appreciation, stories, and encouragement. There aren’t words to express the joy these gifts of 26 letters brought us. There were smiles, laughter and tears.  It is safe to say our cup more than overflowed—and in fact that cup is still flowing. One card thanked Judy and me, as well as our church, for accepting them into our church family even while they were broken.  It was a very tender moment and yes, the tears flowed.

A family in the church gave me a “writing instrument.” It was a gold-plated Cross pen and therefore deserved a name a bit better than simply “ink pen.” With the “writing instrument” came a card but also a spoken comment. After I had opened the gift, the person said, “Dewayne, there is not enough ink in that pen to write how we feel about you and Judy.” It was a very tender and wonderful moment, and it is still wedged safely and securely in my heart.

So, the bottom line is simple this—words can be a wonderful gift. Both Judy and I know because we have and are experiencing them. Each card we received was carefully read and savored like the finest of pecan pies. We will soon begin writing thank you cards but I just couldn’t wait to say thank you to all you who poured into our hearts. You are a precious people indeed. The Bible says that “A word spoken at the right time is like gold apples in silver settings.” All I can say is amen and amen.

As precious as your words and love have been, there has been something way more precious. You see, God sent love letters through His Word and those sixty-six letters are filled with His love and affection. As we read them, we are sure of two things. First, we know He loves us without limit and second, with no conditions and no matter what—He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne