Mary – Grits with Grace

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

Christmas, Family, friends, Grace, gratitude, Holidays, life, love, loving others, missions, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, sovereignty of God, thankful

My Christmas Santa

Posted on December 6, 2023December 3, 2023 by Dewayne Taylor

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

Santa Claus came to town. I cannot describe the excitement that filled my small world as Christmas grew near. I wish I could tell you it was all about Jesus, but in my boyhood world it was about presents and presents meant one thing—Santa Claus. Just like we have now, we had an attic in our World War II barracks turned into a house. And every year we would go into this magical place where special things lived and bring down the decorations. We would start early and stay late. While a white Christmas in Florida was never in the offing, a fun time was.

There were certain decorations that were staples in my world—I can see them in my mind’s eye like it was yesterday. One of those was Santa Claus. Now, we didn’t have the whole body but what we did have was his face. Yup! Our Santa face was about two feet tall and about 18 inches wide. It was made from molded plastic, so it was three dimensional and to me—it was real. When I got just a little older, I got to climb up on the roof (carefully for you concerned moms) and using some wire I would hang our Santa face on the front side of our chimney. But wait, it gets better! Our Santa face had a light bulb inside and would light up at night for all the world (at least so I thought) to see. It was magical.

I remember the vibrant colors—the red hat falling on one side of his peachy face, his full white beard, rosy cheeks, and his eyes. His eyes were bright blue and right in the middle of each pupil was a small hole so that brilliant white light could come peek out giving the illusion of just the right amount of twinkle. It was as if I could hear his hearty “ho, ho, ho.” It was more than a plastic face—for me it was the center of my Christmas world.

I’m not sure what happened to Santa. By the time Momma moved out of the house, I was in the Air Force. I’m hoping he is still living in someone’s attic, but probably he found his way to the trash pile…the victim of some relative that stopped believing. But he will always live in my mind. But in my grownup world, I stopped to question. Why did Santa look just like me? Why was his skin so peachy and his eyes so blue? If he loved all the kids around the whole world, it didn’t seem quite right that my Santa looked so…white. What about the African American kids, or the Asian kids, or the Hispanic kids? What about all the other kids? It didn’t occur to me so much back then but looking back…it does.

Well, having a peachy faced, blue-eyed Santa is one thing but what about a peachy faced, blue-eyed Jesus? It’s so funny that when I look at a nativity set, there’s a fair skinned, often blue-eyed Jesus. When I see a painting of Jesus in a church, (keeping in mind we don’t know what He looked like), He usually does have brown hair and eyes, but His skin is unusually fair for a Middle Eastern man. Honestly, perhaps this doesn’t matter too much unless we begin to think that Jesus is partial to us…no matter who “us” is. You see, just like the kids’ song says, “Jesus loves the little children, all the little children of the world.” Color never mattered to Him, or the side of town you lived in, or how rich or poor you were. He just loves people.

I loved the Santa that hung on my chimney just the way He was. He wasn’t making a statement…he was just saying, “Ho, ho, ho…Merry Christmas.” But let’s make sure our Jesus, or at least how we perceive Him, isn’t making an unintended statement either. There is a whole world out there who God loves and who Jesus died for. Paul, one of the guys who God used to write the New Testament, said, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” So, if we are a Jesus follower, let’s get the message out that Jesus loves people…period. And just as important…let’s make sure we get the message out that because He loves people…we love people.

The mission for every Jesus follower is the same—love God, love people. That’s what the Bible teaches, and I figure if we are going to follow Him, we should follow it. It’s not always easy to love people…especially in these crazy days but guess what? With Him nothing is impossible. That’s what the angel told the young, virgin Mary. God can pull anything off—including helping us love others. It’s just good to know that “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

forgiveness, Grace, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful

Stop the Music

Posted on August 18, 2022August 17, 2022 by Dewayne Taylor

But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:40-42

I am so easily distracted. I mean if there is more than one thing going on at a time I flounder. One of the great miracles of modern time is that when I am on stage speaking, I walk, talk, and breathe all at the same time. Probably more of a miracle is the fact that I have not fallen off the stage—yet. I’m sure there is a syndrome or something for people like me—I think they spell it “man” or “men,” if it is plural.

I try to have a quiet time each morning. A quiet time is when you set apart some time to read the Bible and pray. It is a great way to begin or end the day. The name is very appropriate. For me, it must be quiet. Sometimes I like to change things up, and in the process get too many things going on—which usually means more than one. It’s like going through a buffet line. We must be careful not to get too much on our plate. Well, sometimes that happens to me in my quiet time. Let me explain.

First, I do my quiet time thing on my iPad. I use the You Version app and it is just incredible. If you own a smartphone or a tablet of some sort you can download the app from the Apple or Android store for free. It has all kinds of devotions and reading plans as well as a zillion translations of the Bible. Even if you speak Swahili, they can fix you up. No kidding. One of the totally cool features of the app is that it will read the Bible to you. Amazing.

Well, a while back, I was about to start my quiet time and decided I would try some soft music. I asked Alexa, who lives with Judy and me, to play some music. I said, “Alexa please play Christian instrumental music on Pandora.” As always, she was so kind and said she would be glad to do that. In a few seconds beautiful music was wafting through the air in my office. Then I opened my You Version app and began to read. I was able to pull that off well, but I really had to concentrate on the words on the page and not the words of the songs that were playing. Just to be as clear as mud, the words weren’t really playing—they were just playing in my head. I told you, I get easily distracted.

Well, scripture is a part of most every devotion in You Version so after I had read the devotion, I mashed the button that started the app reading to me. That’s when things went south. The beautiful music is wafting through the air and now this guy was reading God’s word to me and the two collided in my brain. I found I couldn’t focus on either one. The same thing happens when I am watching the news and Judy comes in and starts chatting. It is an audio disaster. And then, as if it couldn’t, it got worse.

In my home office I have several clocks and one of them plays the beautiful Westminster chimes. Well, while my brain was struggling with the music and the guy reading to me—the clock went off. It was the top of the hour, and it began playing its melody. And what would normally be one of my favorite sounds, suddenly pushed me over the edge. If a quiet time is supposed to make you more spiritual…it, or rather I, failed. As the music is wafting, the guy is reading, and the clock is dinging—I lost it.

With all that going on, I shouted, yes shouted, at my friend Alexa, “Alexa, STOP THE MUSIC!” Oh my, did I feel bad. She did and at about the same time the clock stopped dinging and the guy stopped reading. Suddenly…there were only the sounds of silence and the Whisperer whispering, “Dewayne, it’s ok. Don’t let all this stuff that doesn’t matter get to you. Just listen for Me and to Me and everything else will fall into place.” That’s it. That was the message for the quiet time that day. I told my Father I was sorry for getting all frustrated and, as always, He gently whispered words of forgiveness.

In the Bible a woman named Martha got all frustrated and distracted too and Jesus told her the same thing. He told her not what she wanted to hear but what she needed to hear. He told her that she was all worked up over nothing. I guess it’s good to know that I’m not the only one who gets distracted and frustrated. Did I mention annoyed? Jesus invited Martha to come have a seat with Him and rest and it’s the same invitation He gives us. I like that. And do you know what? No matter the mess, it’s just good to know that He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Christmas, Family, gratitude, Holidays, life, love, loving others, Military memories, missions, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, thankful

My Christmas Santa

Posted on December 15, 2021December 13, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.” Galatians 3:28

There were certain decorations that were staples in my world—I can see them in my mind’s eye like it was yesterday. One of those was Santa Claus. Now, we didn’t have the whole body but what we did have was his face. Yup! Our Santa face was about two feet tall and about 18 inches wide. It was from molded plastic so it was three dimensional and to me—it was real. When I got just a little older, I got to climb up on the roof (carefully for you concerned moms) and using some wire I would hang our Santa face on the front side of our chimney. But wait it gets better! Our Santa face had a light bulb inside and would light up at night for all the world (at least so I thought) to see. It was magical.

I remember the vibrant colors—the red hat falling down one side of his peachy face, his full white beard, rosy cheeks, and his eyes. His eyes were bright blue and right in the middle of each pupil was a small hole so that brilliant white light could come peek out giving the illusion of just the right amount of twinkle. It was as if I could hear his hearty “ho, ho, ho.” It was more than a plastic face—for me it was the center of my Christmas world.

Well, having a peachy faced, blue eyed Santa is one thing but what about a peachy faced, blue eyed Jesus? It’s so funny that when I look at a nativity set, there’s a fair skinned, often blue-eyed Jesus. When I see a painting of Jesus in a church, (keeping in mind we don’t know what He looked like), He usually does have brown hair and eyes but His skin is unusually fair for a Middle Eastern man. Honestly, perhaps this doesn’t matter too much unless we begin to think that Jesus is partial to us…no matter who “us” is. You see, just like the kids’ song says, “Jesus loves the little children, all the little children of the world.” Color never mattered to Him, or the side of town you lived in, or how rich or poor you were. He just loves people.

Family, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful

Satan, Sally and Ruff

Posted on March 11, 2021March 10, 2021 by Dewayne Taylor

She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” Matthew 1:21

My name is Sue. How do you do? Everybody needs a dog. Now I know that is a generalization, but the fact is dogs can add a lot to life. Sometimes that “lot” is good and sometimes not so much. The bottom line is that dogs are kinda like people. They are all different, they all have different personalities, and they all have different names.

When I was growing up, I can remember three outdoor dogs that we had. Mama and Daddy had an indoor dog named Penny. She was a, uh, well, overweight chihuahua mix and was pretty much the queen bee of the house. But through the years that I remember we had three other dogs and all three were as different as night and day. The first one had a very unusual name.

Now, first remember these were real outdoor dogs. We are talking their dog food was whatever scraps were left over from dinner and a bath very rarely. So regardless of what adjectives I use to describe them, you would never find them at a dog show. The first one was a beautiful, red, long hair, Irish setter. I’m not sure where we got him, but I can assure you he was free. We definitely, did not pay for dogs. Besides the fact that this dog was really pretty, his name set him apart. His name was, wait for it, Satan. Yes, folks, we actually had a dog named Satan. Even as I type this, I am saying, “You’ve got to be kidding me.” But…I am not.

Satan, the dog—not the king of evil—didn’t get his name from his behavior but rather from his red coat. You know how we like to dress Satan (the king of evil not the dog) in red? Well, I guess Mama and Daddy decided it seemed appropriate. I know when I am introduced to someone, sometimes I hear their name and say, “Well, he or she looks like a Judy or a Sam. Well, Satan, the dog, with his red coat fit the bill. What a crazy name for a dog.

The second dog that holds a spot in my dog hall of fame was a beagle named Sally. Now Sally, I think, is a kinda happy name. I have a hard time imagining a stern-faced Sally though I am sure there are plenty out there. Well, Sally, the dog, had a bubbly personality and had the unique ability, wait for it, to smile. Now, as Jerry Clower the comedian, used to say, “if I am lying, I am dying.” You could walk up to ole Sally and give her a greeting and she would turn her upper lip right up and smile at you. Bring her supper and up the lip would go. She was a nice contrast, as you can imagine, to, uh, Satan (not the king of evil but the dog.)

The third and final dog that fills my memory of dogs in my growing up years was a rough and tumble, short legged, who knows what breed or breeds, dog we named, wait for it, Ruff. Our dog Ruff didn’t stand out with a shiny red coat nor could he smile. He was just Ruff. If he was a human, he probably would have driven a big Harley hog, wore a leather jacket, and smoked cigarettes. He was rough. He may have had small dog syndrome because truthfully, he was short and stocky. But, regardless, he was a good dog, and he was loyal. He ruled the backyard and protected us from all the bad guys.

Three dogs, three distinct personalities and characteristics and three names that kinda, sorta, fit them. Back in the old days of the Bible, names were a really big deal. You would name your son or daughter based on your hopes and dreams for them. Sometimes it worked out…and sometimes, well, it didn’t. I know when Joseph learned that Mary was going to have Jesus, he had some inside help on the name. I mean an angel shows up and says, “Hey, Mary is going to have a baby and you are to name Him Jesus because He is going to save the world.” Now that is one important name.

And guess what? That is exactly what He did. His destiny was to die on a Roman cross to pay for the sins of the whole world—mine and yours and well, everybody’s. When you hear the name of Jesus—think Savior because that is what He is. His name is special, very special, and is one that should not, ever, be thrown around lightly. Guess what? God likes to give names to His kids too. In the last book of the Bible, it says that God will give us a new name written on a white stone and no one will understand the name but one who gets it. Until then, well, He just calls us son or daughter. I like that. And as His son or daughter, we have the assurance that no matter what comes our way, we can count on Him. We can know for sure, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne