Tag: Jesus

Posted in communication, Family, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, love, loving others, school days, Scripture, spiritual battles, thankful, Trials

My Amazing God

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love.” John 15:9

If He can’t, why am I surprised that I can’t? Do you know what still amazes me?  Creation…and not just part of it…all of it.  I’m amazed when I stop and look at the colors of the leaves in fall.  I’m amazed that the sun rises and sets day after day.  I’m amazed that my heart beats about 70 times a minute.  That is, wait for it, 100,800 times a day.  In case you are interested that is 36,792,000 times a year.  And, so far, it’s done well for 70 years.  Oh, and I’m amazed that out of all the galaxies, solar systems, and planets—zillions of them—only one can support life as we know it.  Earth.  And it is no accident.  It is an intentional act of creation.

God is really good at creating things.  He made us.  The Bible says that we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” In another place in the Bible He says we are His masterpieces.  Now granted some are Rembrandt’s and some are Picasso’s, but we are all masterpieces.  Handcrafted by the Creator of the universe—a “one of a kind” miracle. I know He made me with a few quirks and several warts and that is the point of this story…one of my quirky warts.

You see, from the time I was a little kid I have wanted people to like me.  I have craved approval from the time I can remember.  Whether it was from my Momma and Daddy, my brothers or sisters or the guy who picked up our garbage…I wanted approval.  Let me tell you if you are going to have a quirk…there are a lot better ones than this one.  The problem with “approval-itis,”the need for people’s approval is that it leads to a far worse disease—the passion, the drive to please people.  Now if I lived out in Montana where my nearest neighbor was 20 miles away, this wouldn’t be such a big problem.  But my life revolves around people—I was a pastor for goodness’ sake.  And to be honest, I wanted everyone to be happy and I wanted every one of them to like me. Sigh.

To be clear…the deal isn’t their deal…oh, no it lands right in my lap. The wart with all its bumps is right here.  For years I have been learning, or trying to learn, that I will not ever, never, please everyone.  But like an alcoholic craves the bottle—so we people pleasers crave approval.  And, by the way, I’ve gotten a little better.  Now, if I’m driving down the street and I wave at someone and they don’t wave back, I don’t write down their license plates and put a contract out on them. Smile.

If you can identify in any small way with “approval-itis” I have some good news that is sure to help you.  No, it is not seeking counseling and paying someone $200 dollars an hour to tell you that you can’t please everyone.  No, it is not moving to Montana…that wouldn’t work anyway because you would think the horse didn’t like you!  No, it is something that I read in one of my devotions one morning. It is a simple truth.  Are you ready?  Here it is, “You can’t please everybody.  Even God couldn’t please everybody.”  Now isn’t that just profound…and true.  I mean God is like all powerful, all wise, all knowing and can be everywhere at the same time and a majority of the world is always mad at him.  How about that?

Think about it.  If God couldn’t pull it off, then who am I to think that I can? I guess God could snap His celestial fingers and make everyone like Him, but He has this thing about free will.  He doesn’t want to make people love Him—He wants them to love Him because they want too.  Because.They.Want.To. He loved us so much that He gave His only Son to die on a Roman cross and He did it knowing that many…maybe most…would never even respond.  Amazing.

So, here’s the deal.  I understand that I will never please everyone…probably not even a fraction of the people I bump into.  I can’t do that, but I can do this.  I can love like Jesus loved. He said, “As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you. Remain in my love.” He was saying, “Hey, when it comes to loving people…I’m all in. Sit back and enjoy it.”  I can give my best not because a person will respond like I want, but rather because that is what my Dearest Daddy wants me to do.  And guess what?  His approval is the only approval that matters.  We should live, love and long for the audience of One—Jesus.

Well, truth be told, I won’t get this one right in this lifetime because I probably won’t live that long—like a million years.  But with His help I can be more like Him, every day.  Love God, love people.  It’s that simple.  If you are “plum wore out” from “approval-itis,” well, why don’t you just take a rest.  You can, you know—because “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in fear, forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, spiritual battles, travel, Trials

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark.” John 12:46

There’s light at the end of the tunnel.  I have heard that saying all my life (well, at least a chunk of it).  But the truth is the light at the end of the tunnel just might not be enough.  You see, about 20 miles from where we live, there is a bike trail with a tunnel that is 543 feet long.  It’s located in beautiful Southern Illinois.  Oh, I know, I say beautiful and Illinois in the same sentence and all people can think of is flat corn fields and Chicago.  But tucked away in what we call the “real” Southern Illinois are many trails with beautiful hills and rock bluffs in the Shawnee National Forest.

Tunnel Hill Trail is a gem in our area and perhaps the highpoint of the trail is its tunnel. For several years, our church had an annual bike ride that began at the tunnel.  At its peak we would have over a hundred riders—big and little, young, and old. What makes it even better, the small town of Vienna (where we had our picnic) was only ten miles or so from the tunnel and that part of the trail is either flat or slightly downhill.  I told the church riders that, but I’m sure after riding it they thought I might have stretched the truth.  Well, maybe a little.  But the truth is—ten miles on a bike seat is still ten miles on a bike seat.

I have learned over the years to respect every foot of the tunnel there.   As you enter the tunnel, two things are apparent.  One, there is plenty of light so it is easy to assume that there will be plenty of light all the way through.  That would be a mistake.  Second, you might assume that since you can see the “light at the end of tunnel” that would be enough to get you through.  Uh, that would be a mistake too.  Let me describe it…though words really can’t do the job.  You must experience it.

Whether you are riding your bike or walking, as you enter the tunnel you really do think, “Oh, this isn’t too bad.”  There is plenty of light and of course, you can clearly see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Slowly, very slowly, almost without noticing, the light fades away and suddenly, just shy of halfway, you find yourself in a total, eerie, darkness.  What seemed so easy now seems increasingly difficult.  Even with the light at the end of the tunnel, you can’t tell where you are going.  You think you are in the middle of the trail when in fact you can easily be heading straight for the walls.  Over the years, everyone who has ridden with our group has made it through the tunnel.  It’s just that some of them came out with a few bruises and scrapes…courtesy of “the walls.”

Well, after about a hundred feet, light slowly starts appearing around you and before long the light pouring in from the end of the tunnel envelopes you…and you are glad. I’ve even ridden in the tunnel with a flashlight, and it still seems difficult.  You see, light at the end of the tunnel or not, darkness is difficult.  You simply lose all sense of where you are.  That is true in tunnels…and it is true in life.  Too often we are faced with choices and decide that we can handle what our common sense tells us is a bad idea.  We enter the tunnel with plenty of light and assume we have escaped the blight of our choice.  Only later do we see what we couldn’t see—the consequences of our decision.  Only when we “hit the wall” do we understand the pain of our decision.  It is only after we emerge back into the light that we can see the wounds from the walls and realize the scars that we will bear.

Life will have its valleys and not all tunnels in life are caused by our misguided choices, but the good news is regardless—we can find help.  Imagine what it would be like to take sunlight with us into the valleys—into the tunnels of life. What if the deepest valley and the darkest tunnel could be lit as noon is on a sunny day?  Well, it can.  You see, there is a light that defies darkness and is brighter than the sun—in fact, it is the Son.  Two thousand years ago a Man was born that claimed…and proved…that He was the Son of God and His name is Jesus.  Have you ever wondered why this simple carpenter from an obscure village in the Middle East commands center stage on the stage of history?  The reason why?  He is the real deal. The Bible describes Him as the Light of the world…and He is.  And when a person follows Him, he walks in His light.

Jesus said, “I have come as a light to shine in this dark world, so that all who put their trust in Me will no longer remain in the dark.” That is a claim, a promise, worth checking out.  When we were kids a lot of us were afraid of the dark. As adults most of us have outgrown that fear, but we still have reason to fear the phantoms of the dark…things that are bigger than us.  Jesus drives the darkness and phantoms away when we chose to follow Him.  He’s waiting right now to bring light into your life…your tunnels.  When we find ourselves in our darkest moment, you will hear the Whisperer whisper, “Fear not…I’ve got this.  And He does.  Bro. Dewayne

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

A Good Laugh

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” Acts 20:35

It made me laugh. I love a good joke.  But I love bad jokes even more. My grandson James asked me, “Papa, what do you call a cow with no legs?” Well, I had heard this joke before but hey, why not one more time. I asked him “what?” And he said, “ground beef.” Ok, now tell me that isn’t good. Of course, I responded with, “What do you call a pig with no legs?” and he said he didn’t know.  I told him, “A ground hog.” Ok, so you are now armed with two great jokes, but this story is about another one that I read in one of my devotions.

It goes like this, “A barber in a small town was busy cutting hair one day when the local policeman walked in for a haircut. The barber was feeling a bit generous, so he said to him, “Since you do such a good job protecting us, today’s haircut is free.” Well, the next day when the barber showed up at his shop, there were a dozen donuts waiting for him from the grateful policeman.

That same day the local florist came in for a haircut. Again, in a generous mood, the barber said to the florist, “Since you do so much to make this town look beautiful, today’s haircut is free.” The next day when the barber arrived at his shop, he was greeted by a dozen beautiful roses.

Later that day, in walked the local preacher. The barber, once again filled with generosity, said to the minister, “Since you work so hard to care for our souls, today’s haircut is free.” Well, the next day the barber showed up to find a dozen preachers waiting for a free haircut.” That is a great story and maybe partially true. I remember when I first started preaching forty years ago, I was told more than once to be on the outlook for the free perks of pastoring. I am glad to say that didn’t stick with me though I must admit I sure like a free lunch! Smile.

The big truth of this story is no joke—generosity should be a part of every believer’s DNA. Our Dearest Daddy is so, so generous to us. John 3:16 teaches us that He loved us so much He gave His only Son—to a cruel Roman cross. God is the greatest giver there is and we should strive to be just like Him. In Acts 20:35 Paul tells us, “In every way I’ve shown you that it is necessary to help the weak by laboring like this and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, because he said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” We don’t know when Jesus said these words but what we do know is that His life spoke to them every day. He always gave—every day and in every way.

Let me encourage you to be generous…not just with your physical resources but with your time, abilities, and love. Let me encourage you to be just like Jesus who was so willing to give Himself away. I’ll be honest enough to tell you that sometimes this is easier than others for me, but I can always go to my Dearest Daddy who will help me learn and remember, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Grace, gratitude, life, love, prayer, priorities, Scripture, spiritual battles, thankful, Trials

Guess Who Moved

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” Hebrews 13:8

It was a late October morning that I noticed it again.  Sometimes I like to go and sit on our patio early in the morning.  Sometimes I beat the sunup and sometimes it beats me.  On this particular morning, it was just peeking over the horizon.  From where I sat, it was perfectly centered between two houses that sit east of my house.  As always, it did a great job as it brought warmth to the earth and light to a new day.  It is well.  It is well indeed. The sunrise always reminds me that all of this is God’s.  Each new day is His day.  He is the owner, and I am but a steward.

Now fast forward about two or three weeks.  I was out again on the patio…just a bit later than the other time and then I noticed it.  The sunrise had moved considerably south.  Now, instead of between the two houses, the sun was way on the other side.  It was then that I thought it…and maybe said it, “The sun has sure moved further south.”  I even called my wife over and pointed out this fact to her.  How amazing.  How incorrect.

You see, in fact, the sun hadn’t moved at all.  If you remember from your school days, we all learned that the earth is not the center of the universe…the sun is.  So, in fact, the sun had not moved but rather the earth had changed its “tilt.”  As the earth’s northern hemisphere tilts further from the sun, cooler temperatures come, and fall becomes winter. The daylight of the days grows shorter, and the sunrise and sunset slowly but surely shift.  But the thing to remember is that the sun doesn’t change…we do.

Well, turns out the sun has a lot in common with the Son and the Father…and the Holy Spirit for that matter.  You see, God is steadfast, immovable and the times when it seems like He is further away…well guess what?  He isn’t the one who moves.  It is us.  There is an old story about an elderly couple that was riding in their old pickup truck.  The woman said to her husband who was driving, “Do you remember when we used to sit side-by-side when we would ride together.?  The old gentleman behind the wheel, gently reminded her, “Wonder who moved?”  Who.Moved.

You see, the truth is if we feel further from God than we used to it is us and not Him who has moved. He says in His Word that He will never leave or forsake us. He is like the North Star…the one thing we can count on in these uncertain times and in this uncertain world.  He is dependable, trustworthy, and rock solid.  Today, if you are feeling abandoned…you are not.  Today, if you were feeling alone…you are not.  Today if you feel like no one cares…you are wrong.  There is someone and while some simply call Him God…I like to call Him my Dearest Daddy…because that is what He is. Abba Father.

So today, take a moment and notice all the moveable things—sunrises and sunsets, the leaves as the wind blows through the tree, a falling star that burns in the atmosphere or circumstances that change around us.  And then, think about this.  It is one of those amazing verses in the Bible that is nice and short…easy to believe and easy to memorize. It says, “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.” Dependable. trustworthy. Rock solid.  And, because He is all of that and so much more, we can rest in the calm assurance that, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in communication, Family, friends, life, marriage, Scripture, thankful, travel

Wrong Kind of Dump

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.” James 5:12

We were just tootling along somewhere in Washington state. Not familiar with the term tootling? Well, you are probably more familiar than you think.  The word means to go or travel in a leisurely way.  For example, remember last week when you were going somewhere and the couple in front of you was driving fifteen miles an hour under the speed limit.  Yup…they were tootling.  Or maybe you were leaving a big event and the person in front of you was walking like they couldn’t? Yup…they were tootling.  Sometimes we call it being “out for a Sunday drive” or “strolling in the park” but the bottom line is, it’s tootling.

Well, we weren’t driving fifteen miles per hour under the speed limit but at the same time we weren’t in a hurry either. I was casually looking around and so was Judy. We would occasionally comment about this thing or that thing but mostly we were just enjoying the day and the drive.  We were tootling.  The area we were in had multiple campsites and RV parks.  It was a beautiful to tootle. As we tootled, we came upon an RV camp on my side of the road. We knew it was an RV park because it had one of those two sided signs—two boards hinged together that made a sorta tent.

Here is what it said, “RV Park. Dump. $5.  Well, I didn’t think too much about it because I knew it was letting people know that it was an RV Park and if it was time to dump your sewage or grey water you could do it there for five dollars. Well, just a few seconds after we drove past the sign, Judy spoke up and said, “That must really be a poor place since they called it a dump and it only cost five dollars. Well, I let it ride for just about a minute and then I explained it wasn’t talking about the condition of the park but rather the fact that you could dump your stuff there for five bucks. And then—best as I tried to avoid it—I laughed at her misinterpretation of the sign, and she laughed too.

I knew right away buried in there somewhere was a Grits story about communication. You see, I knew what they were saying but since Judy didn’t, she got a whole different meaning. To me they were advertising a service and a bargain, and she thought that the owners were so desperate they were willing to let anybody stay for just five bucks. Now stop for a minute and think just how often what we say or what we do is totally misunderstood. If we are honest, it is more than we want to admit. I know during my preaching years it was common for me to be unclear in what I was trying to say. Mostly it was just funny but a couple of times it was painful.

James, the half-brother of Jesus, said in the book he wrote in the Bible, “Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath. But let your “yes” mean “yes,” and your “no” mean “no,” so that you won’t fall under judgment.” In other words, be careful what you say, when you say it, and even how you say it. If our “misspeaks” end in a laugh that isn’t too bad but when it hurts—well, it hurts. Momma always told me to mind my manners and that included what I said. Well, our Dearest Daddy wants us to mind our mouths. The best part is He is always willing to help us do that.  You might say, “He’s got that” and you would be right. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, priorities, Scripture, spiritual battles, thankful

What Really Matters

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

But that doesn’t matter. Whether their motives are false or genuine, the message about Christ is being preached either way, so I rejoice.” Philippians 1:18

What could be better? The other night, a friend invited a group of friends over for a great time of food and fellowship. Let me just say it was a great get-together and we all enjoyed every minute. We first enjoyed a great meal of fried fish and all the fixings including three fabulous desserts. Then we sat around the table and at the suggestion of someone we began to tell our stories. Every story caused us to pause and reflect and we all learned something new about one another. There were times when we laughed and yes, a few times when tears were shed.

Now back to dinner. Did I mention fried fish? How about coleslaw, potato salad, hushpuppies and all the other trimmings. Oh, did I mention baked beans? Let me tell you that the baked beans that night were incredible. They were so much so that I just had to find out who made them. It turned out that one of the ladies had brought them. They were rich and savory, sweet and filled with chunks of what turned out to be BBQ brisket.  Can someone say, “hallelujah?”

Well, they were so good that I had a second portion. As I scooped the second helping on my plate I told my wife, “Judy, you have to get this recipe.” And that is when it happened.

My friend to my right said, “Well, you are going to make me tell the rest of the truth.” She paused for a moment and of course I was harassing her to share the rest of the story. “Well,” she said, “I did bring the beans, but I didn’t make the beans. I got them from Sam’s.” We all had a good laugh, and I told her that that was even better than a recipe. Even with a recipe, sometimes things don’t come out quite the same. Since they were from Sam’s—well, hey—the outcome was in the bag. I wasn’t at all disappointed, in fact, I was excited.

By the way it really wasn’t important if the beans came from her kitchen or from Sam’s. What mattered was we got to enjoy good, baked beans. More important than who made them was the fact that we got to enjoy them. And guess what? I think that is true many times in life. We often put too much weight on who does what rather than the what itself. That is never truer than in the Church. Too often we lose track of what is important. Is it who brought the message or the way the message spoke to us? Does it really matter who sang the special or if the special spoke to our hearts? You see all that really matters is that we make sure everything points to the One who is worthy and that is Jesus.

So then, if you want to enjoy some great baked beans you can find a good recipe and try your luck or you can run down to your local Sam’s Club. If you try those from Sam’s, I guarantee they will make your tongue happy. And always remember that it isn’t about who does what but rather that He gets the glory. Lay the who or the what aside and let’s just celebrate the fact that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, school days, Scripture, Southern born, spiritual battles, Trials

Sand Spurs from the Past

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west.” Psalm 103:12

It was a voice from my past—and it was singing the blues.  A while back we were in Southwest Florida on vacation, and I tried to keep up with my morning routines.  That included, first and foremost, coffee.  After coffee and a look at the weather came God time.  After God time came Judy time.  After Judy time came—exercise time.  The problem with all these times is they all take time.  Before I knew it, the sun was up, the humidity was up, and the temperature was up.  Regardless, I had to get up and get going.

The first morning we were there I was still learning the lay of the land and wasn’t exactly sure where I should walk.  So, I headed toward the way in and out of our condo property.  This led to the highway and so I took a left and decided to walk on the edge of the road.  It was safe but it was miserable.  There was no shade and soon it was just plain hot—very hot— “why am I doing this” hot.  I was determined to go my 3.6 miles, but I began wondering if this was such a good idea.  After a little while longer I was sure it wasn’t.  But you know how men are—do or die and in this case, death might have been an upgrade.  Ok, I’m exaggerating.

In my misery, I met an old foe.  There was a point when I had to cross a bridge across a channel.  They had built a walkway but to get to the walkway you had to go behind a guardrail through the weeds.  Without breaking stride, I charged on and then I saw them.  Sand spurs.  These were old foes from my childhood.  They are a type of weed and have sharp, spine covered balls of pain at the ends of long stems.  They will grab anything that gets close and if that happens to be your skin…you are done.  If they don’t get you when they attach, they will get you when you try to detach them. Ugh.

Like I said, they were old foes from my childhood.  When I was a kid, we would run barefoot all the time and without fail we would step on them. They would hurt…bad.  Well, this time, even though I tried to avoid them, they found their way onto my shoes and socks, but I didn’t find them till I got back from my walk.  As I was sitting by the pool trying to recover from a 145-heart rate and the 100-degree humidity, I found them. And, just like the old days, they made sure to give me a “stick and an ouch” as I tried to remove them.  Just.Like.The.Old.Days.  Though it was years ago, the whole sand spur scene was painfully fresh.

I find that sand spurs aren’t the only painful thing that loves to bump into our present.  Often, too often, unpleasant memories and regrets sneak back into our lives and cause us pain all over again.  Try as we may, sometimes, it seems they reattach themselves to us and we relive the whole hot mess again.  It could be a similar situation or maybe a repeat performance, but all the pain and remorse come flooding back.  I hate it, you hate it, but how do we avoid it?

Well, I tried to avoid the sand spurs on my walk.  I saw them, I knew they were there, but in my rush, my determination to exercise, I simply didn’t give them the wide berth they deserved.  I should have made it a higher priority. I realized that when I was trying to remove them.  When you sense or when you feel your ugly, painful past creeping into the present, do whatever it takes to change the scenario. Don’t allow yourself to relive the “sand spurs” of past failures. Trust me—they will attach themselves to your present with all their former pain.

There is one more thing that is even more important than that.  Should you find yourself reliving that regret, run straight into the arms of grace.  Remember and relive the forgiveness that came after the failure.  The Bible tells us that God casts our failures as far as the east is from the west.  I love that because it doesn’t say as far as the north is from the south. You see if you go north long enough you will find the south.  But not so with east from the west.  You can travel east forever and never find the west.  And that dear friend, is what God does with our failures and sin if we ask Him for forgiveness and help. It is gone—outta here and that is really good news.

Well, I couldn’t wait to show Judy my sand spurs, not because I liked them but because they reminded me of an important part of my past and the fact that I knew they were not going to be a permanent part of my future.  I may have bumped into them, but I wasn’t going to live with them. And that is a good thing. So, as you are speed walking through life, remember to give your painful past a wide berth and keep Jesus close by your side. You’ll find Him a mobile “rest stop,” there to make every step, every day survivable and “thrive-able.” And never forget, He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, thankful

Water, the Gift of Life

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” John 4:13-14

Small oases dotted the desert. Well, I think this is what they call Indian Summer, and I think we have been in a thing they call a drought. The farmer weather guy that I watch on Saturday morning gave the warning. He said that this fall, and probably the rest of the year, was going to be above average temperature wise. He also said that a chunk of the country was going to get drier, and drier and drier. Somehow, we managed to get just enough rain to keep things green and happy—that is until we didn’t. While some rain came it was spotty and apparently Harrisburg was in the wrong spot.

In the month of August, 217 W. Poplar, managed to get just about a half inch of rain. Of course you could say that was a good news, bad news situation. First, the bad news. My used-to-be green yard looked like it did in the dead (no pun intended) of winter—and that means dead. I knew, or at least I thought I knew, it was just dormant, waiting patiently for better days. What is the good news? Well, also like winter, my mowing days are probably in the rearview mirror. Let’s be honest—brown grass doesn’t grow much. Now, also at 217, are spots of green and color.

What caused that spot of green in the grass? Well, my friendly neighbors at our local fiber optic company dug up part of my yard to put a cable in for my neighbor. They attempted to save the grass by replanting it. I have been faithfully watering it and it looks like it is going to make it.  In fact, it looks a lot better than my dormant yard. My.Dormant.Yard.

The other spots of green and color can be found in the many flowerpots we have sprinkled around our yard and patio. Is this some sort of miracle? No. Once again, this is because of the power of life-saving water. You see, when I retired and every day became Saturday, I picked up the task of watering the flowers in the pots every morning. So, after my walk, I make sure they get a good drink of water and guess what?  That makes all the difference in the world. In a world of brown, they are a refreshing splash of color—very much in contrast to my dormant yard. My. Dormant.Yard.

You see, in the world of yards, flowers and flowerpots, water makes all the difference in the world. In other words, water is life—without water life ceases to exist. And listen to this. As true as that is in the physical world—it is so much truer in the Spiritual world. Jesus said, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” Imagine a life that never grows dormant but is constantly flourishing—even in times of life droughts.

You need to know there is only one source for this water. It is not religion, church, prosperity or other material wealth. It can only come from Jesus for He is living water. So why not come and drink? Nothing gives Him more pleasure than to refresh and relieve the ones He loves—and that includes me and that includes you. He is waiting at the spring to give you a drink. He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

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

Change My Heart

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death.”  2 Corinthians 7:10

I have a sorry prayer life.  No really, I do.  I know that prayer is a very important part of life.  The Bible talks so much about it.  And honestly, it isn’t that it is terribly hard.  If you look and listen to what Jesus says about prayer, you will not only see how important—but how simple it is.  He gave us His now famous lesson on prayer which we call the Lord’s Prayer. This Model Prayer was not that long, contained no big, spiritual words, and it was straight to the point.

Now if all this is true, why do I struggle with prayer so much?  Why do you struggle with prayer so much?  Well, I can’t and shouldn’t speak for you, but I can speak for me.  I have a “sorry” prayer life.  Now you might be saying, “Dewayne don’t be so harsh on yourself.  It can’t be that bad.”  Well, I’m not using sorry as an adjective for my prayer life but rather as a way to tell you about two things that I throw in my prayer life that really shouldn’t be there.  What are they?

Here’s how it works, way too often I find myself telling God that I am sorry for this and sorry for that.  Now that really sounds good, doesn’t it?  Well, I can’t think of a single time where God told me to tell Him I was sorry for my sin.  Nope, I can’t think of one.  You know how it goes.  We tell God good morning and then begin to tell Him that we are sorry for this and sorry for that and of course, we are sorry for this and that.  And most likely the next morning, you find yourself telling Him you were sorry for the same things all over again.  There is a better way.

The better prayer is a prayer of repentance.  It is fine to let Him know you are sorry, but don’t stop there.  Let Him know that you do not intend to do this or that again.  Repentance is a great Bible word that means to have a change in attitude and/or a change in direction.  When you repent you are telling God that you are changing your attitude toward that juicy sin.  You are going from liking to hating and from clinging to leaving.

Paul, one of the writers of the New Testament, said that godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, but worldly grief produces death. In other words, repentance leads to life and being sorry leads to the death of your joy and peace. Oh, and by the way, be sure and ask Him for His power and strength to do that because you will surely need it.  This whole Jesus journey is all about Him anyway.  So be sorry, that can’t hurt, but better, repent.  It’s a game changer.

Now the other part of my “sorry” prayer life goes like this.  I spend several minutes or longer telling God just how sorry I am.  No, not like what we’ve already talked about.  This kind of sorry is the kind that tells God how much of a failure I am, how I am worthless, how I have never succeeded and so I probably won’t succeed today either.  I am one sorry piece of creation.  Really? I hate to admit it, but I’ve been known to do that.  It’s like telling God He is junk maker and not a masterpiece creator.  I’m speaking to me, but you can join in.  It is time to believe what God says about us and not what the devil says.  Let’s not waste our prayer time telling God how messed up we are but rather thanking Him for making us a new creation.

I know, trust me I know, I (or we) are not perfect.  I know I (or we) fail too many times.  But those imperfections, those failures, do not determine who we are.  God determines who we are and when we put our faith in His Son, we are precious in His sight, and we are His trophies of grace.  Let’s not try and convince Him otherwise (as if we could) but rather let’s spend those precious moments in prayer thanking Him for all His marvelous grace.

I think it is time we change our “sorry” prayer lives.  What about you?  Are you willing to leave the mess at the door and enter His grace room with repentance and gratitude for all He has done for you?  Are you willing to turn your “sorry” prayer life into a time of celebration of forgiveness and hope?  Well, I’m sure going to give it a whirl.  I know that when I do, I’m going to find that rest I’ve been looking for.  And I’m going to get up and believe like He’s got it.  Because He does.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, gratitude, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, spiritual battles, thankful, Trials

Dessert or Desert

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.” John 13:35

Hmmm…I said.  I like to talk, and I guess it can be said I like to write.  When I write I love to use words in special ways.  One of those is playing words off one another—using the same word in the same sentence in a different way. I’ve found that I often bump into words that can dramatically change in meaning by changing just one letter.  Here’s an example. First, we have the word dessert.  Now this is one of my favorite words because of all the images that pop into my mind.  In one corner of my brain, a picture of a perfectly prepared pecan pie appears.  Over in another corner is my daughter’s apple crumb pie.  Oh my, is that good!  Wait, over there is my friend Maggie’s fried pecan pies. And then over there is the dessert display case at my favorite local restaurant.  It is filled with pies, cakes, cookies and cream horns.

Well, now that we are all drooling you can almost taste the word dessert.  Even if you are not a fan of sweets, surely it stirred your heart a little.  Now we are going to change just one small letter.  Are you ready?  We are going to go from dessert to desert.  Wait? What?  Yup, just remove one of the “s” in the word and we go from sweets heaven to the Sahara.  We go from visions of sugar plums dancing in our heads to sand…lots of sand.  Now we are not thinking about pleasure but rather pain.  There is not abundance…there is leanness. Just like the word dessert makes our mouth water…desert makes us thirsty.  And it all happens by removing one small letter.

What is true with words is also true about birds.  I was reading the other day, and it talked about two different kinds of birds.  Even though they are radically different, the bottom line is they are still both birds.  Both defy gravity and fly, and both have feathers.  One is one (there’s that play on words) of the smallest birds in the world and the other is one of the larger ones. One is tiny and cute and the is large and ugly.  One is a hummingbird and the other is a vulture. Both birds…but both miles apart…just like our words dessert and desert.

One of the ways the birds are different is their eating habits.  The hummingbird spends it’s time zipping around our yard, going from feeder to feeder and flower to flower looking for “dessert.” Their diet consists of a few small buds and sweet nectar.  The vulture, on the other hand, soars overhead.  He could care less about something sweet—he is looking for his next meal too but his is a “desert” or to put it plainly…something dead.  Both are birds, but both are entirely different.  Their differences may seem big, but really, they are not.  You might say they are separated by a letter or two.

You know, that is true about us.  We really aren’t that different and yet…we are.  Each one of us is uniquely made by God.  You might say we are each handcrafted by the Master craftsman of it all.  An old children’s song that used to float around the Christian music world said, “Look all the world over, there’s no one like me…no one like me.  Look all the world over, there’s no one exactly like me.” God made each one of us different…on purpose.  What a boring world it would be if we were all the same.

Now my intention when I started writing this story was to say how in our world we should be more like the hummingbird and look for sweetness than the vulture who looks for death and decay.  But as I wrote I realized the bigger truth is that we should just be who we are…and allow others to do the same. Skin color, economic status, music tastes, piercings and tats or not…we are all uniquely made.  I wonder how much better the world would be if we learned to love one another.  I mean after all, the biggest sign that a person is a Jesus follower is not if we go to church but if we love other people.  How about that?

So, the next time you are in a bakery…or your backyard…remember that we aren’t as different as we seem.  Rather than judge and criticize, why not go ahead and see people as creations of God. After all,…the Bible does say He loved everybody enough to send His Son to die on a Roman cross…everybody.  And if you happen to know that story…then be sure and spread it around.  It is the best news ever.  And while you’re chatting with that person, be sure and let them know that there is Someone who, no matter what, has it under control.  Tell them that, “He’s got this…no matter what this or that is.”  Bro. Dewayne