celebration – Grits with Grace

Family, life, school days, Scripture, thankful

Seasons Come and Seasons Go

Posted on October 13, 2025October 12, 2025 by Dewayne Taylor

“For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.” Ecclesiastes 3:1-2

Seasons come and seasons go. A while back Judy’s great nephew posted a picture on Facebook. It showed their son, maybe five years old, walking down his driveway. On his back he carries a backpack that is just about as big as he is. He is heading to school—his first day of kindergarten. The first day of school is an event, even more so when it is kindergarten, especially for mom and dad. In the foreground of the picture, is a line of toys…I suppose some of his favorites. The message was beautifully clear. As seasons change, as great adventures come along, as each new journey starts, sometimes you must leave what you love behind. It’s part of growing up—it’s part of life. I’m sure out of camera range was mom, and dad too, who watched through teary eyes. Their little boy was growing up. Seasons come and seasons go.

It happened a couple of weeks ago as Fall silently arrived. Did you feel it? Did you sense it? Probably not. For most it wasn’t even a blip on the calendar. There was no fanfare, no ticker-tape parade, no sounds trumpeting its arrival. In many ways it was just a day on the calendar that most of us probably missed. But not everyone missed it. The trees took note. Slowly and surely, their leaves began turning a beautiful yellow and red before drifting, floating to the ground. The plants took note. The shortening days began telling their leaves it was time to prepare for next spring by preparing for winter’s sleep. And oh yes, the squirrels definitely knew it. They began gathering their supply of acorns and pecans, tucking them away for the coming winter. You see, Fall is a time of transition…nature’s way of letting us know that another season is soon coming…Winter. And Winter, like all the seasons, is something to celebrate—something to embrace.

For me the first day of Fall was an event. Every year I look forward to it. I told my wife that part of the mystery of Fall is how something so beautiful prepares the way for a time of dormancy and sleep. You might think of it as a time of things dying but you would be wrong. No, it is a time of preparation and transition. Remember…seasons come and seasons go. And in the beauty of Fall we see the promise of Spring, of new life. It is that way for nature. It is that way for us. In the Fall of our lives, things begin to change and it is God’s way of preparing us for new life, eternal life with Him. While we do have to walk through the winter of death, just on the other side is the eternal spring of heaven. It is something to celebrate—something to embrace.

So, seasons come and go. It is true in nature and it is true in life. While the changing seasons sometimes bring challenges they also bring on exciting new adventures. Changing seasons on the calendar are something to celebrate—something to embrace. It is God’s promise to us that something new is coming. The author of Ecclesiastes reminds us that for everything there is a season—a time for every purpose under heaven. He’s telling us that seasons come and seasons go. There are times for living and dying, playing and harvesting, dancing and sitting still. Yes, it is something to celebrate—and something to embrace.

As we casually flip the pages of the calendar, as the clock keeps ticking, leading us toward new seasons and new adventures, don’t get stuck in the cold of Winter. No, remember this—Spring is on the other side. Every day is a gift from God and is a gentle nudge from our Dearest Daddy that He is preparing new seasons and new adventures for us. Like our first day of kindergarten, it might mean leaving behind some of the things we love, but we can rest in Him knowing that only the best comes from Him and He never, ever gets it wrong. Never. Sleep well tonight knowing that He who creates the days, masters the same. Rest knowing that He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

communication, Family, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, priorities, school days, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials, Uncategorized, USA

Mama and Politics

Posted on November 13, 2024November 9, 2024 by Dewayne Taylor

“Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:4-5

His name was Bill, and he was running for county commissioner. A long time ago when I was about ten years old, I had my first and only encounter with political campaigns. Somehow, and I have no idea how, my Momma got involved with the campaign to elect a guy named Bill Basford as county commissioner. And, when Mom jumped in—she jumped in all the way. That meant a couple of things.

First, and totally embarrassing, was this thing they put on our car. We were pretty much not rich, in fact, I’m sure we weren’t even middle class. We drove a 1957 Plymouth and let’s just say 1957 was a long way in the rearview mirror. Anyway, back in those days if a person was running for office, they had these triangle shaped signs that people strapped to the top of their cars. Now if it had been a little triangle that wouldn’t have been nearly as embarrassing, but this thing belonged on the sands of Egypt with the rest of the Pyramids. It was HUGE. It loudly proclaimed, “BILL BASFORD FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER.” We would drive around and advertise for Bill.

That wasn’t all. We also had to go door to door asking people to vote for Bill. We covered our neighborhood like the plague of locusts that cleaned out Egypt. I am certain people saw us coming and quickly closed their blinds and pretended they weren’t home. It turns out that was just practice for when I became a preacher. By the way…I know you are in there. We also had a big supply of bumper stickers which we would gladly stick on your car. When you’re ten, you like to stick things on things, so I liked that part—a lot.

Well, election day came, and Momma waited for the big news. Either by television or by telephone we got the word that Bill had won, and they invited Momma to come downtown to the headquarters to celebrate. Like Ma and Pa Kettle, we (as in Daddy, Momma, my two sisters and I) got in the 1957 Plymouth and off we went. I only remember a couple of things about the celebration. There was loud music, and the air was filled with excitement.

So that was it. Momma was excited because her guy won. She didn’t get a political appointment or anything, but we did have a bunch of bumper stickers leftover to stick on things. But the best part of all was that our guy won. Winning is always a good feeling. Everyone wants to be on the winning side. Every contest has winners and losers. Like the song says, “Some gotta win, some gotta lose. Good time Charlie’s got the blues. Well, your name might not be Charlie, but maybe you’ve got the blues. And I’m not talking about any election results.

If the truth be known, life can be pretty blue, can’t it? And sometimes, it is because we lose…our health, our job, our family, our house, well, lots of things. But I want to tell you something that is important. There is Someone who never loses, and His name is Jesus. If it was an election…He would win every time. If it was a game…He would win every time. If it was a war…He would win every time. If it was a debate…yup, He would win every time. Do you want to know the best part? Keep reading.

Remember how mama got invited to the big celebration downtown? Well, if we are willing to place our faith and trust in Jesus and follow Him, two amazing things happen. First, because He wins, we win. In a way, when Bill Basford won—Momma won. And when we choose to follow Jesus, because He wins—we win too. The Bible says, “Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” Then, the party starts. Sometimes people think heaven is going to be one long boring church service. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is going to a celebration like no other…like a party without end. And while we won’t be the center of attention—that’s Jesus’ place—we will be guests of honor. How about that?

I don’t really know how things turned out for Bill Basford, but I suppose he was a good commissioner. I also know it made my Momma feel pretty special to be a part of his campaign. She felt included—we felt included. We may have driven an old 1957 Plymouth but on that night with Bill’s name on the top, it felt like a Cadillac. Jesus invites you to be a part of His campaign team too. He’s not running for anything—He is already King of Kings. But there’s one thing for sure, He loves to invite people to come along for the ride. He hopes, and so do I, that you will join Him. When this campaign is over, we are going to celebrate Him forever. Until then, He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

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

The Gift of Words

Posted on June 25, 2024June 24, 2024 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

Christmas, Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, Holidays, life, love, loving others, Scripture, thankful

Christmas All Day, Everyday

Posted on December 18, 2023December 16, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs.” 1 Corinthians 13:4-5

I said it yesterday…Christmas is just six days away…and the time is quickly passing. If things go according to plan, it will be something like this. It will begin with Christmas Eve service at our church. This is one of the best things we do all year and yet it really isn’t anything we do. Families come and fill the worship center. We have some wonderful Christmas worship and reading from the Word of God. It is my privilege to share something from the Bible and from my heart. We end the service by sharing “the light of Christmas” with one another…a simple candle lit and shared with everyone across the room as we sing “Silent Night.” It always lasts just about an hour and then with anticipation, everyone goes their own way.

For Judy and me and the rest of the Taylor tribe that means gathering at one of our homes where we enjoy family, food, and fellowship. Everyone gets a new pair of Christmas pajamas as we share some wonderful food. Soon, too soon, our family disperses to their various homes. The only exception is Judy and I spend the night with our oldest daughter and her family and get to wake up Christmas morning as the family opens presents and just enjoy being family. Later in the day some of the family come back and we have Christmas lunch together with more laughter and more fellowship. Soon, too soon, the day ends, and we go our separate ways, our hearts filled with gratitude for a day well lived.

It is sometimes hard to see the day end. After weeks of anticipation and excitement, as the sun sets the reality is that we must go back to our routines. Soon the Christmas music will be pushed to the end of our playlist and the decorations will be packed away for another year and all of us will soon be doing life as before…or will we? I believe that we can and should carry some of Christmas with us right into the New Year. I believe that is what Mary and Joseph did. They didn’t leave Bethlehem the same way they arrived. They left carrying the hope of the world in Mary’s arms and under the watching eye of Joseph. They left with new purpose and new insight to care for and love the Baby placed in their care. Life wasn’t easy and neither she nor him knew all the curves and potholes this new road would have. They simply decided to trust God for the day after Christmas…and the day after that.

It would be easy for us to slip into what is called the “post-Christmas blues.” But I think we do have a choice. While we do have to move on, we can carry Christmas with us. You see Christmas isn’t just the music, the decorations, and the traditions. No Christmas is a celebration of God becoming man and dwelling with us and among us and in fact…in us. Christmas is a celebration of Christ and that isn’t, nor should it be about a day or season on a calendar. It is about the power of God’s love for this world…a love so great He gave His Son…the same one born on Christmas…for us. How about that?

So today, why not go ahead and break into a chorus or two of “Joy to the World.” After all, the good news of His coming is the best good news. Why not do today what you did a couple of days ago when you chose to show a little kindness? After all, there are no seasonal limits on kindness or love. That is something we can and should do every day. I think we can all agree, Christian or not, that the world could use a little more of each. I know that is what Jesus did. He went around doing good…not in honor of His birthday but because that was who He was and what He did.

Paul, the guy who wrote a bunch of the New Testament part of the Bible said, “Love is patient, love is kind. Love does not envy, is not boastful, is not arrogant, is not rude, is not self-seeking, is not irritable, and does not keep a record of wrongs.” Now that is enough to make it Christmas every day! Sounds a little challenging. Don’t worry, the God who made all of this is just waiting to help you. In fact, if you listen close you will hear Him whispering, “Don’t worry. I’ve got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Easter, fear, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, Holidays, life, loving others, prayer, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials, wisdom

It’s Wednesday

Posted on March 31, 2021March 30, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

For the joy that lay before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:2

It’s Wednesday…not just Wednesday but Wednesday as in two days before you die. Not just die, but die what the Romans called the death of deaths. Not just die, but die a death so horrible it was outlawed for Roman citizens. So, if you knew Friday was coming, what would your Wednesday be like? What would your attitude be like?

The scriptures don’t actually say, “On Wednesday before Jesus died on Friday Jesus got up and did this or that.” We do know this. His actions were not dominated or determined by dread or fear. His actions were governed by His desire to please His Father and driven by His love for us. He wanted to please the Father and He wanted to save us. Let that soak in. He wanted to save us.

Jesus knew the full awfulness of the cross. He understood the awfulness of experiencing the wrath of His Father for our sins. In John 12:27-28, He says, “Now My soul is troubled. What should I say—Father, save Me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” He understood that if He was rescued there could not be a rescue or redemption for us and without redemption, you and I are burnt toast.

So, what did He do? The author of Hebrews gives us a glimpse. He says, “For the joy that lay before Him, He endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Do you see it? “For the joy that lay before Him, He endured the cross…” Jesus handled the awfulness of the cross by looking beyond the awfulness to a time when He would be returned to His rightful place in heaven right beside His Father. He handled the present by looking to eternity.

That is really good advice for these days—actually, for any day. We can be shortsighted and only see the craziness around us or we can look toward better days. Now I want you to track with me. Many of those better days we dreamed about last year are already here. Last year we mourned that we couldn’t worship together on Palm Sunday and Easter. Last Sunday we did and this Sunday, Lord willing, we will. Yay. Last year we were longing to minister and serve others as a church family. This year we are or at least we can. And just like these things came to pass, so will the others. We will have jobs again. We will have family parties again. The Cubs will win the series again. Well, let’s not stretch it. But you get the idea.

And by the way, one day, if we place our faith in Christ, we will have a reserved seat in the longest, greatest celebration of all–heaven. None of the earth junk will be there. In fact, according to Revelation 21:4 “He [God] will wipe away every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; grief, crying, and pain will be no more, because the previous things have passed away.” Wow–no grief, crying, pain, or death. No funeral homes, nursing homes, hospitals, prisons, fear or any number of things that give us gray hair or no hair.

So, some of the better days are here and many more are coming–some sooner–some later. And the same thing that got Jesus through can help us get through–the joy set before us. We learned in a message recently that Biblical joy can be defined as “a deep sense of well-being based on our faith in God and trust in His sovereign will.”

As we trust Him the fear fades, the sun rises, and we can face today, and tomorrow. In fact, we not only can face it–we can embrace it with the confident assurance He is in control. Knowing that–rest in Him. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Family, gratitude, life, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, thankful

Mama and Politics

Posted on November 5, 2020November 5, 2020 by Dewayne Taylor

Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” 1 John 5:4-5

He was running for county commissioner. A long time ago when I was about ten years old I had my first and only encounter with political campaigns. Somehow, and I have no idea how, my mama got involved with the campaign to elect a guy named Bill Basford as county commissioner. And, when mama jumped in—she jumped in all the way. That meant a couple of things.

Well, election day came and mama waited for the big news. Either by television or by telephone we got the word that Bill had won and they invited mama to come downtown to the headquarters to celebrate. Like Ma and Pa Kettle we (as in daddy, mama, my two young sisters and I) got in the 1957 Plymouth and off we went. I only remember a couple of things about the celebration. There was loud music, there was free food and there was a bar. My daddy went over and I saw him get something to drink and I don’t think it was sweet tea. The reason I remember that is because if daddy wasn’t a teetotaler, mama was.

So that was it. Mama was excited because her guy won. She didn’t get a political appointment or anything, but we did have a bunch of bumper stickers leftover to stick on things. But the best part of all was that our guy won. Winning is always a good feeling. Everyone wants to be on the winning side. I don’t know how you came out in the election, but generally everyone has winners and losers. Like the song says, “Some gotta win, some gotta lose. Good time Charlie’s got the blues.” Well, your name might not be Charlie, but maybe you’ve got the blues. And I’m not talking about the election results.

If the truth be known, life can be pretty blue, can’t it? And sometimes, it is because we lose…our health, our job, our family, our house, well, lots of things. But I want to tell you something that is really important. There is Someone who never loses and His name is Jesus. If it was an election…He would win every time. If it was a game…He would win every time. If it was a war…He would win every time. If it was a debate…yup, He would win every time. Do you want to know the best part? Keep reading.

Remember how mama got invited to the big celebration downtown? Well, if we are willing to place our faith and trust in Jesus and follow Him, two amazing things happen. First, because He wins, we win. In a way, when Bill Basford won—mama won. And when we choose to follow Jesus, because He wins—we win too. The Bible says, “Everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.” Then, the party starts. Sometimes people think heaven is going to be one long boring church service. Nothing could be further from the truth. It is going to a celebration like no other…like a party without end. And while we won’t be the center of attention—that’s Jesus’ place—we will be guests of honor. How about that?

I don’t really know how things turned out for Bill Basford, but I suppose he was a good commissioner. I also know it made my mama feel pretty special to be a part of his campaign. She felt included—we felt included. We may have driven an old 1957 Plymouth but on that night with Bill’s name on the top, it felt like a Cadillac. Jesus invites you to be a part of His campaign team too. He’s not running for anything—He is already King of Kings. But there’s one thing for sure, He loves to invite people to come along for the ride. He hopes, and so do I, that you will join Him. When this campaign is over, we are going to rest in Him forever. Until then, He’s got this.