Tag: details

Posted in gratitude, life, Scripture, thankful, travel

Sock It To Me

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Love, God

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.” James 1:17

What were the chances? If there is one thing, I never grow old of writing about it is the favor of God. Today’s story goes like this. We had gotten back into town after our latest journey to the land of Grits. We stayed a week at a Florida State Park and then traveled a bit north, as in across the Florida line and into Georgia, to see family. Ironically, right before or after crossing the state line, Judy got a phone call letting us know that her nephew, six months younger than me, had suddenly passed away. Our visit then became a ministry opportunity as we stayed to attend the funeral. With all that said, we arrived back home on Friday afternoon. As much as we love our journeys south, it was good to be home.

Having been gone for a couple of weeks, there was plenty to do including watering plants, filling fountains, and mowing and mulching leaves.  After a bit of that, I was tired, so I sat down in a chair we have in our front foyer. The front door was open letting the morning sun and autumn beauty stream in. Judy came in and let me know she was going to Walmart so off she went. Suddenly, she appeared outside the storm door and mouthed the words letting me know she was going to take the long way to Walmart since the car after sitting for two weeks was a bit slow to crank. Good idea. So, I’m sitting in the chair just looking and soon I hear the car as it heads down our alley and to the main road. Get ready—here comes God’s favor.

As I look out the storm door, she pulls out of the alley and heads toward the Highway 13 bypass. As she left my field of view, I thought I saw something on the lid of the trunk—something flat and black—just about the size of an iPad. My first thought was surely not but I quickly changed my mind. I ran to get my phone to call her and have her check—no answer. I called again—the call goes to voice mail. On the third try, she answered the phone, and I told her my suspicions. We ended the call. She had just turned onto Highway 13 so she pulled over to the shoulder, got out, and checked.

Guess what she found? You guessed it—her iPad—just inches from falling off. She quickly sent me a picture and I called as we celebrated together. We didn’t just celebrate an almost lost iPad—we celebrated the love and favor of a Father who cared enough to cause me to look and see and who cared enough to keep that iPad right where it needed to be. How about that? Now just for the record, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that we had witnessed another love note from our Dearest Daddy. We didn’t deserve it—He just graciously delivered it. I have learned to look, to see, and to acknowledge these love notes—these grace notes from heaven.

Now here is the best part—it isn’t just Judy and me—it is every child of God and many times people who are not even His—yet. For His kids, they are love notes and for all others, it is a wooing to call them into the family. Jesus came to seek and to save and He often showed His love like His Father.  All those healings were love notes, all the miracles—more of the same. So today, right now, start looking for God’s sticky notes and when you find them—see them—be sure and give Him the glory He deserves. After all each one is a reminder that—He’s got this!  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, food, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Look, See and Love

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me.” Psalm 142:4-5

There she stood…alone and frightened.  I guess you could say I am a “details” person. I notice things most others don’t see.  My wife Judy and I just returned from a short trip to Nashville for a few days of “let’s get away.” We were sitting on the back porch chatting and drinking coffee and I said to Judy, “Did you happen to notice that the house over there (over there being at least two blocks away) has three pairs of shutters—one pair open and the other two pairs closed?”  Well, she hadn’t noticed and that was when she stated the obvious, “You are such a detail person.” And she was right…I am.

My attention to detail is just as keen back home in Harrisburg.  In our town we have quite a few people who are homeless—some by choice, some with mental illness and some who are just struggling with life.  As I see them—and I do see them—I often think about what their life must be like. How do they do it? What is it like to not have a place to call home? What does it feel like to feel abandoned and unloved?  It saddens me when I realize that the life they have now is most likely the only life they will ever know. Most won’t ever know anything better. And then, I usually pray asking Him to care for those who wander through life as they wander the streets. And I know that it is only by the grace of God that I am where I am. Charles Stanley, the former pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta, once saw a homeless lady pushing a buggy and he said, “There, but by the grace of God, goes I.”

The other day I was helping with our Fun Food ministry at the local Methodist church.  We were serving the kids there for Vacation Bible School some popcorn, snow cones, and cotton candy. While we were waiting for the kids, a homeless lady wandered up. She was tall and as thin as a rail and her eyes were filled—not with life but fear. We offered her some of what we had but it was as if she was afraid to take it. She stayed a safe distance and with difficulty asked if we had some water.  We did not. I believe she did finally take some popcorn and maybe some cotton candy and then—she wandered away. The last time I saw her, her hands were empty and so were her eyes. She kept glancing back as if to make sure we weren’t going to harm her.

Well, a couple of days later I was reading the Bible and remembered a verse that I had discovered in years past.  It is found in Psalms 142:4-5 and says, “I look for someone to come and help me, but no one gives me a passing thought! No one will help me; no one cares a bit what happens to me.” What I saw and experienced that day gave me pause and it still does.  Here’s the deal.  Sometimes we can help physically, and we should do so…carefully. But something that we can do every time is to assign the same value God does to every person—regardless. We must treat every person with the same dignity that God does. Believe me—He values a life regardless of what station or color they are—and we should do the same.

Someone said, “Don’t let the fact that you can’t help everyone keep you from helping someone.” And do you know what? Sometimes that help looks a whole lot like Jesus—loving them like He loves us. The one thing I could do that day for that lady was to show love and treat her like she mattered—because she does. I know this can be challenging and honestly loving usually is.  But remember this…the One who loves you most is waiting to help you do the hard stuff like loving.  After all, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Lost Keys or Everyday Miracles

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.” James 1:17

Boom…just like that.  It was one of those mornings.  I was running just a bit behind.  There wasn’t a clock to punch, no was going to say anything, but the truth is I needed to get to the office.  There was work to do and it seems there was more work than time.  I got everything done that needed to be done…I even remembered to take my medicine. I walked out the door and felt my pocket only to realize that the familiar lump wasn’t there.  I had forgotten my keys. Bummer.

So, I turned around, mumbling something about time and keys, and headed back into the house.  There is a place I usually put my keys and when I got there…they weren’t.  Bummer.  I walked over to the other side of the kitchen and checked on the counter.  Nope. Bummer. I walked back over to the other place, and they still weren’t there.  Then, I decided to go upstairs and check the pockets on the pants I had worn the day before.  Scratch that one too.  Then I went outside and asked Judy if she had seen my keys.  I think she gave me the “whose keys” look and said, “no.”

By now my frustration level was rising.  I checked in the car.  No.  I went back into the kitchen and checked the key thingy, and they weren’t there.  Bummer again.  So just for the fun of it I checked it all again and realized that I just might have misplaced or lost them. It was looking grim.  You see, this key wasn’t one of those go to Wal-Mart three-dollar keys.  No, this was one of those three-hundred-dollar key fob things (there’s a reason I know this) and by now I am thinking of dollars.  I asked Judy to keep an eye out and I used the spare key and drove to work.

As soon as I got to work, I started telling the staff of my lost key woes.  I told them how I had looked everywhere, all with no luck.  They were sympathetic and I appreciated their shared woe but all of that didn’t help me find my keys.  So, I started doing some of that work I talked about earlier and after an hour or so, I texted Judy and asked her if she had had a chance to look for the missing keys.  Well, she hadn’t, so still no luck.  It was just about then that it happened.  She texted me and said she thought she had found the keys on the key thingy.  I told her that probably wasn’t them because I checked there twice.  She sent me a picture and there, in her hand, were my keys.

When I asked her where they were found and she said the key thingy, at first, I was embarrassed and then amazed.  Here is why.  I am one hundred percent certain that I checked there twice.  I would have bet my bottom dollar they were not there and yet…they were.  That only leaves two options.  First, I am blind and totally missed them. The second option is…God came to the rescue.  Call me crazy or call me nuts but I honestly believe that option two happened.  You see, given the nature of my Dearest Daddy I just wouldn’t be surprised if He didn’t reach down from heaven and placed the missing keys there.  After all, why wouldn’t He? 

I have had other incidents in my life when God did some crazy things and maybe that is why I’m sure He just did it again.  How about you?  Do you have any times when something crazy happened and looking back you realized there wasn’t an explanation?  I’m one of those people that believe God is a God who is into the details, and I also believe He is not too busy to do something like replace a set of missing keys.  Oh, God is a God of the big things, but He is not too busy to care about the little things too…like missing keys and wallets.

Let me encourage you to look for the small miracles around us.  In fact, let me encourage you to expect small miracles around us.  James, the half-brother of Jesus wrote a short book in the Bible.  In it he wrote, “Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens.”  Spot on, James.  The God who made the stars can also do the small stuff…stuff that matters to us matters to Him.  So, as you journey today, and you hit a bump, don’t be afraid to ask for a little help from above.  He might help you over the bump or at least give you the grace to endure it.  Either way, you can know that “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Murphy’s Law

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” Song of Solomon 2:15

Good ole Murphy.  You have probably heard about a thing called Murphy’s Law.  The bottom line is that if something can go wrong…it probably will. I have been a strong believer in Murphy’s Law for a long time.  In fact, I bet if I checked ancestry.com this Murphy fella is somehow related to me.  Now I know if you are one of those optimistic folks you are not a believer.  You probably don’t believe in Big Foot either.  Well, hey, I’m a believer.  Let me give you a couple of examples.

I have a 100-foot water hose that we use to water plants, wash the car, and all kinds of things.   When I am done with the hose and it is time to roll it back up, there is a 90% probably that the hose will catch on something—a flowerpot, a rock, a crack in the sideway, or even an ant. When it catches, it kinks, and I will have to walk out and unkink it.  And…there is 67.5 % chance that it will kink again.  There you go…Murphy’s Law.

Are you up for one more?  So, let’s say I am installing a light fixture in the bedroom, and I must screw three screws in to hold it. There is a 94.75 percent chance that I will drop at least one of the screws from atop the six-foot ladder, that it will roll 7.5 feet over toward the wall and that it will drop into the heating or air conditioning vent.  AND there is a 100% chance that I will not have a replacement screw AND an 84% chance that no one in town will either.  See, it is Murphy’s Law—undeniable, irrefutable, you gotta believe it, proof.

Now the good thing about Murphy’s Law is that most of the things it involves won’t kill you or even cause serious injury …but it will drive you crazy.  I’ve lived long enough to conclude that it isn’t the major disasters in life that steal our joy, rob us of peace, or make us want to move to Montana.  No, it is the little things.  One of my favorite verses is tucked away in one of those Bible books we never read—the Song of Solomon.  Trust me—don’t read it to your kids before bedtime—or maybe anytime.

Well, right in the middle of the book is this jewel, “Catch the foxes for us, the little foxes that spoil the vineyards, for our vineyards are in blossom.” The author, who is a guy named Solomon, is saying he is not worried about a herd of elephants stomping and ruining his grapevines.  Nope.  He realized the danger is from those pesky little foxes that come along and eat the harvest one grape at a time.  One.grape.at.a.time.

In these crazy days there are some elephants out there. But the truth is we should worry less about elephants and the small things that slowly eat our lunch. And that’s what will cause the Rolaids stock to go right through the roof.  Those stinking, pesky little foxes. We should be wary of the elephants, but let’s not give too much time and energy to the little foxes.

The foxes can and will mess with us.  If we allow them, they can cause us to be frustrated and even angry.  They can mess with our peace, our joy, our relationships and even our sleep.  But the truth is our God is greater than any elephant or any fox. All we must do is trust Him—to lean into Him.  The writer of Proverbs says it this way, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart and don’t lean into your own understanding.  In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight.”  There you go…trust and acknowledge and He will straighten this mess out.

So, the next time the hose kinks or the screw disappears just remember Murphy is at work.  The choice of what we do when he visits is ours.  I think we should just probably introduce him to our Friend Jesus.  We should let him know there isn’t room for he and Jesus in our circle of friends.  Someone must go and Murphy—it is you.  So long Murphy.  I’m gonna go rest in Jesus.  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, loving others, thankful

The Underwear Fairy

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.” Song of Solomon 2:15

She did it again. I know you have heard about the Tooth Fairy and probably your Fairy Godmother, but have you ever heard about the “Underwear Fairy?”  I am fairly certain this is not a one-house deal.  I haven’t researched it extensively but from what I can gather this behind-the-scenes, mythical being shows up in houses across America and possibly around the world.

It goes something like this.  Everyone has routines and mine looks something like this.  Wakeup, coffee with the weather guy on our local channel, quiet time with God, more coffee, exercise (sometimes), breakfast, nice hot shower and get dressed for the day.  Part of that getting dressed thing involves the unmentionables of the underworld—underwear. And here is where it gets amazing.

Every day I open a drawer in my bathroom and behold there are underwear in there.  I grab them up, put them on and bam out the door I go. Amazing.  As the days pass, the supply gets lower and lower.  And then out of the clear blue sky the drawer is full again and the process starts all over again.  I couldn’t really figure this out till one day it dawned on me.  There must be an “Underwear Fairy” who washed, folded, and put my unmentionables right in my drawer.  Without reward, without asking, day after day and week after week, it happened.

It took a while, but I finally decided to find out who this mythical person was.  So, I camped out in my shower behind the curtain like a kid waiting on Santa Claus. And sure enough, I heard the sound of a drawer sliding open and jumped from behind the curtain and yelled, “Got you!” And what did my wandering eyes should behold?  An old guy in a red suit with eight tiny reindeer? No, that would have been weird.  A bunny rabbit with a basket? Weirder. Nope.  It was my wife, Judy.

Yup…all along it was her.  She would go and get the dirty clothes basket out of my closet, carry those clothes down three flights of stairs, throw them into the washer, go back down later and throw them in the dryer, go back down later and get them out of the dryer and take them upstairs and fold them.  She would then sneak into my bathroom and quietly fill my drawer with my drawers and tee shirts.  Amazing.  And here is the crazy part.  She has been doing this for almost 48 years.  I can’t believe it took this long to catch her.

Well, that is how I came to discover the “Underwear Fairy” and that is also how I came to begin to learn something.  While all of us appreciate the big things people do for us, sometimes, maybe a lot of the time, it is the small things that matter.  Since this discovery it is not uncommon for me to say my wife, “Judy, the “Underwear Fairy” came.” And hopefully that is followed by a thank-you and maybe even a kiss.

I really had to weigh it carefully if I could write about underwear.  I even asked the fairy herself if she thought I could.  She wasn’t sure.  Well, it wasn’t a matter of could…it was a matter of should.  Each day our lives are filled with the small things that people do for us…things we take for granted.  Why not take a moment today and say thank you.  If your husband takes out the trash, or the kids’ pick up the house, or one of the guys at the office buys donuts or any of a thousand things…say thanks.  Learn to appreciate the small things.

Tucked away in the Song of Solomon in your Bible (That is one of the books the preacher never preaches from. You might need the table of contents.) are these words, “Catch for us the foxes, the little foxes that ruin the vineyards, our vineyards that are in bloom.”  The little foxes can be those missed opportunities when we take others for granted resulting in ingratitude. Relationships can grow stale and love can whither on the vine if we fail to water them with gratitude. Remember that.

Perhaps you might need to stop and look for the fairies and foxes in your house, your neighborhood or where you work.  Be sure and thank those around you that make your life just a little easier.  And for sure if you see the fox of ingratitude—“shoot that thing.” Oh, and on your list, be sure you have God at the top of the list of things to be grateful for.  Every day from sunrise to sunset and beyond He is working behind the scenes and writing you love notes with acts of mercy and kindness.  Things like letting you rest in Him.  Things like letting you know, “I’ve got this.”  And He does.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, gratitude, Integrity, life, prayer, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Close, But a Million Miles Apart

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” 1 Timothy 6:10

I was so close…but it was no bananas.  There is an old saying that says, “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” With horseshoes, get it close to the stake and you get something and with a hand grenade, well, you know how that works.  I found out recently that close can be a million miles away.  It goes like this.

So, my day job is being a pastor and teacher.  I love it…well, at least most of it.  Anyway, I really do love to preach, teach and write.  I love to find creative ways to say something with the hope that will help people understand and remember.  When I preach and teach on Sunday mornings, my sermons usually consist of three major components.  First, Scripture—and lots of it.  Far more important than what I say or what someone else says is what God said. Period. Second, I like to use the words of people smarter than me so I will usually include some quotes. Finally, I write what I call “teaching points” to expound or make the truth big and clear. It was the second one in that series of three that recently showed that you can be close and yet a million miles away.

A couple of weeks ago, I read a powerful quote that went like this, “Christians filled with the Spirit are dangerous to hell. If you’re not dangerous to hell, then you’re dangerous to the Church.” While you may not like that quote, because like a hand grenade it hits a little too close to home, it is still powerful.  It was spoken by a teacher named Rob Reiner—or so I thought. It turns out that I was one letter off on who said this.  You see, the guy who said it was named Rob Reimer…a Bible teacher.  The guy I unintentionally credited was Rob Reiner who is a long way from being a Bible teacher.  In fact, he is a comedian and played a role in the old sitcom, “All in the Family.”  In the show he was called, “Meathead.”

Now I don’t know if my source made the mistake or if I mistyped but there is one thing I know—one letter made all the difference in the world and the two men couldn’t have been more different. In this case, one small letter changed everything.  What is even crazier is that I had no idea who Rob Reiner was until someone pointed the mistake out…and I am so glad that he did. 

As you do life, let’s remember that small things do in fact matter.  Whether it is when we read the word or when we say what someone said, let’s be sure we get it right. People often say how the Bible teaches that money is the root of all evil but that isn’t what it says at all.  Money is neutral…money is a tool.  What the Bible says is, “The LOVE of money is the root of all evil” and that is a horse of a different color. Yup…details matter.  One letter can change everything.  Not a detail person?  No, problem.  I know someone who is…my Dearest Daddy in heaven.  He is all about details and He is always willing to help.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, Integrity, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Dusty Neglect

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For the Lord your God is the One who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.” Deuteronomy 20:4

There it sat…unattended and unused.  I started this year on a roll. I checked my blood sugar one morning and was rather shocked at the result.  That caused me to take a quick assessment of my health and every indicator said it was time to do something…so I did. I kick started my walking regime, made a lot of correct decisions about ending my love affair with carbs and over all began to live healthier.  The results were not necessarily quick, but they were steady.  Before too long, my sugar levels were better, my weight was better, my energy level was better and obviously I felt better.  And as we all know…better is better.

By May, I was a new guy.  All the health coach people were applauding my results but oddly enough my success started me down the same old path to bad habits.  It is kinda like the day after Christmas—you know, the emotional letdown after so much hype.  At first the negative effects were there but they were not gigantic.  But as the snowball rolled down the hill it got bigger and bigger and today, I decided to do something.  That something was to step on the scale that had been sitting quietly between the toilet and the vanity. As I stepped on, I was saddened and discouraged by what I saw. My, my, how the mighty can fall.

After I had stepped on the scale, I later went back into the bathroom and that is when I noticed it.  The scale was covered with dust and water stains—all the signs of neglect. It had become nothing more than a part of the floor.  I decided there and then to pick it up and clean it up.  It was a starting point…a declaration that enough just might be enough. The message was clear—the dust was a message, a sign that it was time to do something different.

We all have items around our house that have become dust collectors. Some matter and some really don’t.  But let me ask you a question.  What about the spiritual things, the spiritual markers of your life?  If you looked, would you find your Bible covered with dust or buried with a pile of magazines on the end table?  If you use your phone, is the Bible shortcut tucked away in some forgotten folder?  If you are a YouVersion fan, would you find your reading plans declaring way too many days behind?

Now I didn’t type that as a guilt trip—I typed it as a fellow traveler, who in another area of his life found some dust where it doesn’t belong.  I typed it because you, me, all of us at one time or another find ourselves just a little sloppy in the things that matter.  Hey, instead of waiting for the New Year to resolve to do this or that, why not take an inventory of the things collecting dust in your life and maybe, just maybe, let today be the day you decide to get out the dust rag.

One thing I love about God is that no matter what the mess, He is never disappointed in me but rather He is constantly and consistently for me and not against me. I faced a giant today and although mine is a physical thing, it has spiritual overtones. How about yours?  As you look around and poke around, just know that your Dearest Daddy is your biggest fan and no matter what…He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, Trials

Three Days, Day 3

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Catch the foxes for us—the little foxes that ruin the vineyards—for our vineyards are in bloom.” Song of Solomon 2:15

It seems that God has a sense of humor after all.  Day two was a bust.  As bad as I wanted and needed everything to go right…it went wrong.  Mornings are my most productive time and it quickly became obvious that Monday morning and afternoon were not going to be productive…except to fuel and feed my frustration.  Before it was all over the circumstances, of which none were life threatening, none were going to matter in eternity, none were going to change the world, had left me wondering what God was up to.  I just missed the part that He had enrolled me in the school of faith.

Tuesday, day three of “Three Days” began better—not because anything had changed but maybe, just maybe I had.  I got up and prepared the usual way.  Coffee, check. God time, check. Breakfast, check. Before I knew it, it was time to head to the office and see what God had in mind.  Something told me it might be different. When I arrived at the office, made a cup of coffee—first priority—and restarted my Apple computer for what seemed like the twentieth time.  Hmmm. It seemed to be happier so naturally I was happier but happier doesn’t mean the problem was gone.  I still had to do the one thing that started this fiasco—updating the church digital sign. I decided to try something different.

About two months ago, I had installed the software that was supposed to talk to the sign on another computer but no matter what I did, it simply wouldn’t talk to the sign. I called the expert and no matter what he did it still wouldn’t talk to the sign.  We gave up and I turned it off…until that morning…the morning of day three.  Well, figuring I had nothing to lose, I turned the PC on, opened the sign talking software and guess what? They started talking.  Like two old friends they started chatting like nothing was ever wrong. And just like that the thing that I had worried and fretted over was in the rearview mirror.  Just like that the one thing that I really needed to do was, wait for it, possible.  I really couldn’t believe it.  There was no explanation but one.  God not only heals bodies and creates universes—He works on computers.

I hope you are smiling right now because when all this happened, I was.  I wrote to the computer expert guy and told him the problem was solved and I thought it was a miracle.  He agreed.  So, the bottom line is God proved that He is concerned about the little things that cause frustration and stress. He also proved that even when we are wondering what “He did to us,” He quietly and mysteriously works for us. The rest of the first part of day three I merrily pressed the keys and fed data to the church sign for the next couple of months.  Yay.

I am glad that God granted me these three days…even day two…the less than trophy day.  That frustrating day set me up to appreciate the miracle day.  God used my frustration from day two to fertilize and grow the wonder of day three. In frustration on day two I said, “God why did you do this to me.”  At the end of day three I was saying in gratitude, “God, why did you do this for me” because I am sure I didn’t deserve it. I hope this made sense today because it was very cool.  I learned once again that God is God, and I am not and that He is good all the time and if I am willing to trust and wait, He is willing to see me through.

So, that is the story of the three days…three days that I am sure all of us at one time or another have both enjoyed and endured. It is a story of how it doesn’t aways take a major disaster to derail us on the tracks of life.  Sometimes, too often, it is just the little things gone south.  Sometimes the little things are more difficult to manage than the monsters that ravage us.  It reminds me of one of those good verses in the Old Testament.  It says, remember, it isn’t the elephants but the little foxes that spoil the vines and the harvest. I’m just glad that He is a patient loving Father who doesn’t grow weary with my groans or my whines.  No, instead the Whisperer whispers, “It’s ok child, don’t worry, big or small, “I’ve got this.”  Bro. Dewayne