Tag: perseverance

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

Habits and Me

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Proverbs 23:7a

I’m a creature of habit. I love a good adventure, but routines hold a special place in my heart. Each morning unfolds with a series of rituals starting with comforting sips of coffee paired with a quick glance at the local weather. This is followed by a more extended coffee session, my time with God, moments with my wife Judy, some exercise (well, at least on some days), breakfast, a refreshing shower, and getting dressed to embark on the day. Any deviation from this routine, and the delicate balance of the morning can be thrown off course.

Habits, I’ve come to realize, can be either a force for good or a source of trouble. A good habit keeps us on track, guiding us toward the right choices. Likewise, a bad habit can lead to a cascade of consequences, turning a day or even an entire life into a series of regrets. One, many can relate to, is our eating habits. A lifetime of poor eating choices can result in significant consequences as we age. Smoking, drinking, and drug abuse are other habits capable of wreaking havoc on our lives…and that’s just the short list.

The redeeming factor about habits is their capacity for change. It’s said that after consistently doing something for 30 days, it becomes a habit. In essence, persevere with an activity for 30 days, and it becomes ingrained enough to continue. Whether it’s adopting a new exercise routine or reducing sugar intake, this 30-day principle is believed to make the habit stick. While there may be some truth to this, it’s also important to recognize that habits require ongoing maintenance; otherwise, they may fade into the abyss of forgotten habits.

The most effective way to uphold a habit is to simply do it. Yet, often maintaining a habit seems like an uphill battle. Allow me to share an ongoing battle I’ve faced for years – one with no resolution in sight. I spend a considerable amount of time at the keyboard, typing out sermons and blogs. When naming my sermon files in Pages, an Apple word processing program, I habitually include the scripture reference using a colon, as in “Sermon – John 3:16.” However, Pages staunchly refuses to accept a colon as part of the file name, replacing it with a dash. Despite my best efforts, I cannot remember to make the change, leading to a recurring clash with Pages—one it doggedly wins.

This trivial example sheds light on a profound truth. The cause of this unyielding habit lies in the reinforcement of the wrong action. Every other instance of typing scripture references involves using a colon, engraining the wrong behavior into my brain. It’s a battle between my ingrained habit and the software’s limitation. In this case, finding a solution remains elusive. Do I persist in my futile attempts to defy the software or adapt to a new way of writing scripture references? It’s a typing mess.

While my struggle with file names is mildly exasperating, there are likely destructive or unproductive habits in our lives that need our attention. Are there habits, either consciously or subconsciously, that you reinforce, leading to unproductive or even harmful outcomes? Are late-night TV binges affecting your ability to wake up early for exercise or quiet time? Do destructive reading or viewing habits contribute to destructive behavior patterns?

The truth is, if we consistently sow negative thoughts or actions, we will reap negative consequences. A small yet powerful verse tells us, “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he.” Our thought patterns, reinforced over time, shape our actions, and ultimately define who we are. If we desire different results, we must introduce change into our habits. They say the definition of insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results and they are right.

Here’s the good news – God is ready to lend a helping hand. His Word serves as a handbook for life, offering guidance and wisdom. By reading and heeding His Word, we can, with His assistance, effect positive change in our habits. Signs on the road warning of a sharp curve can indeed lead to better days. And when the going gets tough, remind yourself of two fundamental truths: why you embarked on the journey in the first place and the reassuring fact that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, travel

Rocks and Fossils

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to His good purpose.” Philippines 2:13

They were everywhere but nowhere to be found.  A couple of months ago, Judy and I went to a pastor’s conference over in North Carolina.  It’s just a little far to travel in one day, so we always choose to stay a night on the road and one of our favorite spots is Cookeville, Tennessee.  It is a little over an hour outside Nashville and has several good places to eat and stay.  We usually stay at an Airbnb since it provides a little more space and sometimes it offers a little bit more. 

This find was Judy’s and that probably explains why we spent more than we normally do.  The place was located on a small scenic river and featured two waterfalls within a hundred yards of the property.  One was bigger and one was smaller—both were awesome. The smaller one had several rock features but only fell about ten feet.  Its big brother, on the other hand, fell about fifty feet and was massive.  It’s funny because they both had the same amount of water to work with but, you know, the farther the water falls the more impressive it seems.

Because of the falls and because the area around the river was rocky, the ground was covered with tons (both literally and figuratively) of small rocks.  There were all shapes, many colors, and sizes.  Most were fist-size or smaller but here is the best part.  Scattered around and in all the rocks were a heavy sprinkling of fossils.  Most were of ancient water plants that had become trapped in the sediment and slowly, over time, became fossilized.  There were all kinds, and since they were so unique—I just had to have some.  So, Judy and I went hunting.

From the get-go, it seemed she was better at it than me and soon she was shouting, “Here’s one, here’s another.” Well, that caused me to look harder than ever.  Well, before long, we both had plenty, and they are now on display in my office at home.  But here’s what is amazing and what prompted this short story with a big truth.  The fact is they were everywhere but there were so many rocks to poke through it was just hard to find them.  They were there but they were well camouflaged…looking a lot like their rock brothers and sisters.  Making it even harder was the fact that one side of a rock might have a cool fossil and the other—nothing.  The only choice was to keep looking and keep turning over as many stones as possible.

Isn’t that just like life? We look for this or that and sometimes we become frustrated and give up and behold—it was right in front of our face the entire time.  That is never truer than with God things.  We think God has turned off the blessing faucet when the truth is we just aren’t looking close enough…hard enough…and we give up.  Well, let me encourage you to keep flipping those rocks over because you never know what might be on the other side.

Sometimes the answer to our prayer or our miracle is just one stone flip away. God loves to bless His children so don’t give up and don’t be surprised if you find yourself staring a blessing in the face. Paul wrote, “For it is God who is working in you both to will and to work according to His good purpose.” In other words, don’t give up…He’s working, and He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in birthday, Family, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials

Our Longest Day

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” Galatians 6:9

It was a long day.  I can’t tell you how many times I have said it.  My wife, Judy, often greets me at the end of the workday as I come home.  She will say, “How was your day today?”  And sometimes I will respond, “It was one long day.”  Then there are other times, often on a Friday or Saturday, when the day seems to stretch on forever.  I get so much done around the house and yard and at the end, I tell Judy, “What a great long day today.”  Often the circumstances of the day seem to dictate how the day will be remembered and perceived.

Perhaps you are familiar with the date, June 6th.  No?  What if I were to add the year 1944 to the equation?  Well, if you have studied your history, you probably made the connection with World War II and you might have even remembered that was the day of the Allied invasion of Normandy, France—the beginning of the end of that great conflict.  It was a massive undertaking, and the outcome was never a sure thing.  But at the end of the day, and with great cost, the Allies gained a foothold on the European continent.  Someone there that day called it, “the longest day.” And it was.

All of us have “longest days” and yes, I know that the last several years may have seemed like a secession of them.  Sometimes those “longest days” cause us to mourn, but sometimes they are a reason to celebrate. For my wife and me, January 24th was one of those.  You see, on that day, forty-two years ago this year, our first daughter was born, and it was a long and exciting day.

Late Thursday evening Judy started having some consistent labor pains and when they didn’t stop, we knew it was time to head to the hospital.  When we arrived, they decided to keep her, and the journey began in earnest.  Judy had decided to have Rebecca without much intervention from medicine, so it was a challenging process.  By the way, if it had been me, I would have had every drug available to modern man.  We all know if populating the world was left in the hands of men—it would be a very, small world.

At any rate, the hours began to pass.  As the clock ticked the seconds, minutes, and hours by, it soon became apparent that this was not going to be a sprint but rather a marathon. All day Friday, I (her faithful husband) stayed by her side, encouraging her each step of the way.  Well, okay, maybe there were a couple of exceptions.  A friend of mine brought me a huge burger and fries which I dutifully ate while Judy watched—no, make that glared.  What was I thinking?  Oh, that’s right…I wasn’t.

The hours continued to tick by and soon it was evening and while things were progressing, Rebecca was determined to delay her grand arrival. Finally, at about midnight, Dr. Dickerson, came in to check on Judy and announced it was about time. I had the television on and one of those ultra-low budget Japanese monster movies was on.  Before long, the doctor and I were enthralled with the movie. So, while Judy was groaning in labor, the doctor and I watched as Godzilla ate up the known world.

Finally, the movie was over, and Dr. Dickerson announced it was time to head to the delivery room.  Coincidence?  I was allowed to go in and not much later, Rebecca made her grand appearance.  The baby was crying, Judy was more than relieved and crying, and I was more than excited and crying.  As it turned out, Judy had endured 23 hours of labor before Rebecca was born.  Oh, and when she arrived, she weighed 8 lbs. 15.5 ounces. What a prize!

For years and every once-in-a-while—even today we still talk of our longest day.  Well, actually it was Judy’s longest day.  For me it was burgers, fries, and a cheesy monster movie. But for both of us it was a day we will never forget—the day God blessed us with our first daughter.  And before it was all said and done—He would bless us two more times with two more daughters and later with eight grandchildren.  That is incredible. And what’s more incredible?  The next day, the pastor asked me to speak on the radio and give my testimony for Baptist Men’s Day.  I’m sure that longest day was part of what I said that day and God used that to launch me—us— into the ministry of pastoring.

So, when you have your longest day, keep in mind a couple of thoughts.  First, every day is created by the Creator God.  His Word says tells us that this day, every day, is a gift that He created just for us.  How about that? And if we will allow God to direct our steps in that day, we will not only endure—we can thrive.  I know it seems sometimes that the finish line—the prize, is always just out of reach—but it will come if we keep on.

Paul was one of the writers in the New Testament and he knew a whole lot about long days.  He may not have known about the labor pains that produce babies, but he did know a lot about the kind of “labor pains” life can sometimes send our way. He said, “Let us not get tired of doing good, for we will reap at the proper time if we don’t give up.” The bottom-line is don’t give up—don’t quit.  And by the way, even if you are not a Jesus follower, that is still good advice.  The farmer gets the harvest if he keeps working the field.  The good news is that God is just waiting to help you through every day, including your longest day.  He is right there and mark it down, “He’s got this.”  Bro. Dewayne