Tag: truth

Posted in communication, fear, Grace, Integrity, life, Scripture, spiritual battles

Trust the Truth

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

 “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword.” Hebrews 4:12a

On your mark, get set, go. Today is Monday.  While not the first day of the week, that honor is set aside for Sunday, for many it is the first day of their work week. But wait—this week there is sometime way bigger.  Wednesday is January 1st, the start of a new month and, wait for it, the start of another New Year.

In Psalm 118:24, we are reminded that, “this is the day the Lord has made.” We are also told what we are to do with that truth, “We will rejoice and be glad in it.” He makes each day and we get to celebrate each day. So if God is the author of each day then He is also the author of each week, month, and year and we should celebrate each one.

One of the best ways to celebrate all this newness is by reading and celebrating God’s Word. I cannot, we cannot, overstate the importance of God’s Word to each and every Jesus follower. You see, reading, studying, meditating and ingesting God’s Word is vital to our intimacy with our Abba Father—our Dearest Daddy. God’s Word is our weapon to fight against our arch enemy Satan. The Word is alive, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword. But wait there is more. When we hide Scripture in our heart, it helps us battle with the forces of evil. We have an enemy, and the last thing he wants us to do is trust God and His Word.

You can take this to the bank. Our spiritual enemy wants to keep us in a place of doubt, fear, guilt, shame and insecurity. But when we know who we are, children of the Most High God, we can confidently demolish every lie that distracts us. Jesus said of Satan, “He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.” Don’t miss that—no truth in him. Just think, whatever comes out of Satan is a lie so we must be careful to believe nothing he says.

I was reading one day and came across this list of some common lies we’ve all believed, and the truth we need to remember to overcome them. These powerful truths will help equip us  and help us to overcomer the enemy this year.

Satan Says — You are a failure, and can’t do anything right.

God Says — You may struggle, but you can do all things through Christ who gives you strength. (Philippians 4:13)

Satan Says – If God cared, why would He let these hardships happen to you?  

God Says — I cause everything to work together for My glory and My good (Romans 8:28). My grace is sufficient for you, and My power is perfected through your weakness. (2 Corinthians 12:9)

Satan Says — You will always be the way you are.

God Says — You can change because you belong to Christ. The old you has gone and the new you is here (2 Corinthians 5:17)!

Think through the lies you’ve believed. Unfortunately the list is probably longer than we want to admit. It’s easier to entertain lies when we allow them to become a part of us. But once you recognize the lies you’ve internalized, you’re halfway to victory. God gave us His Word so that we could know the truth …  and it’s His truth that sets us free.  As we launch into this New Year, let’s start living more like the conquerors we are, and apply the life-giving, hope-delivering truth provided to us through God’s Word. Let’s make the commitment to live and believe that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, friends, gratitude, life, loving others, Scripture, spiritual battles, thankful, travel, Trials

Cuttin’ Wood…Or Not

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” James 1:19

Someone was out working real early. Some good friends of ours had invited my wife Judy and I to stay in their Villa down in Nashville. Well, since I am now retired, what would have been a pipe dream became a reality. So, we packed the car and headed South—where grits are a regular staple and people talk right. We stayed a few days and enjoyed the opportunity to just relax.

Each morning, I would rise early, get a cup of coffee and go out on the back patio and say good morning to the new day and thank my Dearest Daddy for making it possible. As I was sitting there rocking and enjoying it all, I heard a sound that I knew. Even though it was very early and even though it was Sunday morning, I heard what sounded like a table saw cutting wood. I thought it all a little strange but not too strange because they are still building homes in the area.

Well, before long, Judy came out and joined me and I called her attention to the fact that someone was cutting wood on a table saw. She agreed that is what it sounded like and then just like that—they quit. Well, it must have been time for a break or whatever. The rest of the day, when I would go rock on the back porch, it seemed no one was working.  Until the next morning.

Yup, so the next morning I once again made my way the back patio, coffee in hand, and sat down and once again heard the saw going to town. I sure admired the work ethic of whoever was sawing all that wood. The day before I had talked to one of the guys who oversaw maintaining the lawns and I thanked him for doing a good job and he told me how he worked seven days a week.  He and the guy cutting wood certainly knew about hard work.  So, on to the back porch that early Monday morning. Judy came out, we rocked and chatted as the unknown worker continued to cut wood. And, it was just about then, that I figured it out.

You see, the house behind us had a sprinkler system that turned on each morning. Well, that sprinkler system had one sprinkler head that was put so that as it watered the yard the water would hit the metal fence and when that high pressure water hit the metal fence…it sounded like someone sawing wood on a table saw. How about that? Turns out there wasn’t a hard worker cutting wood way too early but rather just a water sprinkler doing its thing.

Now, I was convinced of what I heard but as sure as I was—I was wrong. My big takeaway that morning taught me that you can’t believe everything you hear…no matter how real or how probable it sounds. We have all heard things about situations and people, and it sounded so possible we just bought it as the truth. And all too often…we find out that we were wrong…and sometimes tragically wrong.

Let me suggest that we all memorize or at least imprint the truth found in James 1:19 into our hearts and lives.  It says, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” In other words, learn to listen carefully and accurately, be slow to spread what we think we know and very slow to get mad when we are proven wrong.  It’s no accident that God gave us two ears and one tongue. Just remember, when you think you know something, check it out with your Dearest Daddy—after all, He’s got this. Bro. Dewayne

Posted in forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, Military memories, prayer, priorities, Scripture, sovereignty of God, thankful, Trials, wisdom

Teach Me to Abide

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.” John 15:5

It is a beautiful song. Music has long played a major part in my life. Oh, it’s not that I am way talented and can play multiple instruments it more that I just love music. There are only a few types of music that cause me to push away…most seem to draw me in…move my soul. And trust me…I count it as a gift. I can stomp my foot with the best at a good country song and marvel at the harmony of a gifted bluegrass group. I love the blending of voices of southern gospel and barbershop. Music can cause my memories to soar as John Denver belts out Rocky Mountain High and another pair sings about laughter in the rain.

Even as I write this I’m smiling. During my one winter in Minot, North Dakota (courtesy of the United States Air Force) only one guy had a car, and we would stuff it full every two weeks on payday and would drive the twenty miles into town for two cheeseburgers, a fry, and a coke at McDonald’s. Two things were gimmes on the trip.  We would play “freeze out—rolling down all the windows with the thermometer hovering at ten degrees as long as we could stand it. The other was all of us singing at the top of our voices the hits of the day—especially John Denver singing about country roads that one day would take us home.

Take.Us.Home. Nothing stirs my soul more than songs about a God who loves me more than any words can express and one day will take me home. I’ve come to realize that music is the best language to encourage a broken heart and a longing soul. I was at a conference a couple of months ago and bumped into one of those game changing songs.  The worship team sang a song called, “Abide.” It is a mellow but hopeful song about God and how He watches over us in our day by day walk about life. One of the many key thoughts is based on what Jesus said in John 15:5. The songwriter put it this way, “You’re the Way the Truth and the Life, You’re the well that never runs dry, I’m the branch and You are the Vine, draw me close and teach me to abide.” How lovely…how thoughtful…how moving.

I love to go to YouTube and watch and listen as Arron Williams passionately sings these words. In the room with him is a guy playing keyboards. I watch as his fingers dance over the keys. Also in the room is a woman playing the cello. Oh my, at her command the rich tones fill the room and cause me to worship. Finally, there is the lead vocalist playing the guitar and artfully singing the beautiful lyrics.  All of this comes together and soothes my heart. This is a song I shared with my sister who was battling cancer and a dear friend who is also doing the same. She loved it, he loves it, and I love it too.

One of my favorite lines in the song says, “When I pass through death, as I enter rest, I depend on You, I depend on You. For eternal life to be raised with Christ…I depend on You, I depend on You. What wonderful words of promise. We will all face death one day but each one of us who knows Jesus will not stay there…we will pass through…depending on Him. So, I hope you too will discover or rediscover the world of music…especially the wonder of worship.  Allow it to teach you, fresh and renew the truth that, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

Abide (with lyrics)  https://youtu.be/BLDEt9KP2O0

Abide (live video) https://youtu.be/BA-Wi4fdcVE

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, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, love, loving others, prayer, priorities, Scripture, thankful, travel, Trials

Seeing Isn’t Always Believing

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

And he looked up and said, “I see men, but they look like trees, walking.” Mark 8:24

He was still there the next morning.  A while back, a couple of really awesome friends allowed us to use their camper for a whole week.  It was a pastor appreciation thing even though I haven’t been their pastor for a long time.  But trust me…we sure appreciated it.  Now I need to tell you this wasn’t one of those camper campers—this was one of those fancy ones—the kind that moves you from camping to glamping.  They set it up for us in a beautiful campground in the Land Between the Lakes.  The leaves were falling, the weather was “fallish”, and we were two happy campers…no pun intended.

One evening I went out to find my car covered with a healthy crop of wet leaves.  With nothing important to do at the time, I begin picking the leaves off my car.  There were lots of different kinds of leaves.  As I worked my way around the car, I found something unusual on the driver’s side rear door.  It was a small stick about three inches long and it was stuck to the side of the door.  I thought that was kind of odd, so I took a closer look.  What I saw was what appeared to be one of those insects that look like a stick.  It had a small head and several joints down its body. It was amazing.  I said, “Hey Judy, come look at this cool insect.  It looks just like a stick.”

Well, she came over and took a look and she said, “Are you sure that is an insect?”  I assured her that it was since I am an amateur entomologist.  Oh, in case you are wondering, that is someone who studies insects.  I know because I looked it up.  So, me, the amateur entomologist, left this fine specimen of the insect world to spend the night on my car.  I really couldn’t believe she had questioned my judgment.  After all, what does she know about entomology anyway?  Well, apparently a lot.

The next morning, we were leaving. As I carried our stuff out to the car, I took the time to pick the remaining leaves off my car and guess what?  My stick friend was still there.  I told Judy, “Hey that stick insect is still on the car.  How cool is that?”  She gave me that “Are you sure it isn’t a stick” look and I gave her the “I know what I am talking about” look.  There was only one way to prove to her that I knew what I was talking about.  It was time for the touch test.  I went over to the car and looked again at my friend.  Head.  Check. Body. Check.  Legs.  Well, real small looking legs, but check.  So, I gave it a poke.  It fell off the car.

Yup.  I hate to admit it, but it was a stick.  I had to do the hard thing but the right thing. I went in and told Judy, “Hey you know that stick insect?  It was a stick.”  How about that?  I tried to lightly brush it off but no, I got a full load of the “I told you so” looks.  The bottom line was, she was right.  She knew her sticks and I obviously didn’t know my insects.  I think it is kinda funny that something I thought that was supposed to look like a stick really was.  No wonder it didn’t move all night.  I guess those weren’t legs after all.

I realized that morning that not everything that looks like a stick insect is in fact, a stick insect—it might just indeed be a stick.  Things are not always as they appear.  Seeing sometimes is not believing.  Our eyes can deceive us.  Our hearts can deceive us. Our minds can deceive us. Things can be deceiving.

There is a cool scripture about Jesus healing a guy who was blind.  Jesus touched his eyes and said, “What do you see?”  The man said, “I see men, but they look like trees walking.”  Well, Jesus touched his eyes again and basically said, “What about now?”  And guess what?  He could see just fine.  Now obviously the man wasn’t seeing trees walking but that is what he thought he could see.  In a world where things are upside-down, we should take the time and carefully examine something before we buy into it.  If I had poked that stick sooner, I would have discovered the truth sooner.  Things are not always as they appear.

However, there is One we can trust who is always spot on and that is God.  He is the real deal and the lens that we view Him is through His Word.  Don’t trust what people say about God—read it for yourself.  God gave us His Word to show Himself to us and then invites every person to read for themselves.  And how often do you get to talk to the Author while you read His book? That’s pretty cool.  And if you choose to read about Him, you will be amazed at what you find.  You won’t find a God that looks like a god.  You will find a God that is God and Who can do what He says.  You will find a God who loves you—a lot.  You will find a God who is not afraid of our investigation of Him because He will stand any test.  So, go ahead.  Read up.  You will find the real deal.  A God that invites you to rest in Him.  A God who’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

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

Oh, Sweet Gravy

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

Taste and see that the Lord is good. How happy is the person who takes refuge in Him!” Psalm 34:8

My eyes said “gravy”, but my mouth said “sweet.” I’m just not much of a cook.  In fact, if cook was a bigger word, I probably wouldn’t even be able to spell it. With that said, every once in a while, I am forced to venture into the kitchen. I do manage to cook my own breakfast but occasionally I even manage to mess that up. Such was the case a couple of weeks ago.

It was Saturday and My wife Judy had a teaching thing in a town about an hour away, so I was on my own. She had cooked some sausage gravy the day before, so I looked in the refrigerator to see if there was any left.  There was some sausage but no gravy.  I did find a small container that looked like the milk and flour beginnings of gravy, so I grabbed that and poured it into the frying pan.

After a few moments, I realized whatever this was needed some help. Despite my best efforts, it simply wasn’t becoming gravy. I went to the pantry and found seasoned flour and shoveled in several tablespoons.  Well, that did the trick, in fact so much, that I had to add some milk to loosen it up some. Before long it at least looked like gravy.  Well, about that time a piece of sausage went over the side of pan and onto the stove. I picked it up and, being the frugal guy that I am, popped it in my mouth.  “Hmmm, not bad, but sweet.  How strange” I said out loud to myself.

Well, I put the gravy in a bowl and, since we were out of bread, got a spoon and proceeded to dig in.  To my surprise, the “gravy” was indeed sweet and yes, I did go ahead and eat it.  How strange indeed. Well, I pondered and pondered how I ended up with sweet gravy and I finally figured it out.  You see, Judy had put some of her Italian sweet cream creamer into a container to take on our trip to Georgia.  She had forgotten to take it and the container was still in the refrigerator. It turns out that what I thought was the makings of gravy was in fact coffee creamer.

You know, it sure looked right and it even kind of cooked right, but the bottom line was regardless of how it looked or cooked—it was not what I thought it was. And I learned that coffee creamer just doesn’t make gravy.  I’m not sure what it makes—but it doesn’t make gravy. I learned there and then to make sure I knew what was going in the pan before I started cooking.

That is a great lesson for making gravy and it is a great lesson for doing life with God. There are some things in this world that can look like God.  Religion is one of them. And there are plenty of things that can take the place of God and in the process become a god. So, it is important we make sure we are loving and serving Creator God and not some sort of substitute.  And remember, nothing, and I mean nothing, can take the place of the real deal. Whether it is in the kitchen or on the streets—make sure you have what is real. If you find yourself a little confused, don’t worry, just ask Him and He will let you know what’s real and what’s not.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, Integrity, life, loving others, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, Trials

Oops.

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.” 1 Peter 4:8

It’s an old, old story…at least for we Taylors.  As the baby of our family, I came along toward the tail end of so many good memories.  Daddy and Momma had eight kids in all.  They had five, apparently needed a break, and then decided to have three more. Well, I’m not sure how much it was a decision as it was a fact of life…no pun intended.  There were plenty of tales in the Taylor household but like I said, some happened before I came along.

Daddy and Momma started out with three boys.  From everything I know, they were all rough and tumble and that’s just the way it was.  Well, apparently, one day things got a little out of hand.  More on that in a few minutes.  What you need to know now is that one day my Momma went out to use her washing machine and made a startling discovery.  Someone had cut the hoses to the machine and the natural suspects were the three older brothers.  I’m not sure why they were suspects unless that was part of their rough and tumble motif.  I can’t verify it, but I would suspect that at some point, Momma said, “Just wait till your father gets home.”

Well, eventually he did, and Momma told him what had happened.  He lined the boys up for a time of interrogation.  They assured him that while they were rough and tumble, they weren’t stupid—there was no way they cut the hoses.  Well, Daddy didn’t buy it.  He was sure that they did.  I’m not sure how long they were in the “police lineup” but eventually Daddy said if no one would confess they would all get punished…and they did.  I don’t know if it was a switch or a belt, but they got a spanking.  Case closed.  Daddy was sure they wouldn’t be cutting anymore hoses.

Well, the only problem was this—they didn’t cut them in the first place.  Several days later, one of their rough and tumble “friends” confessed to the deed.  It turns out in their rough and tumbling the “friend” had gotten mad and decided to get a little revenge so…he cut the hoses.  When word got back to Daddy, he called a meeting of “the boys.”  Again, I wasn’t there but I heard it went something like this.  “Boys, I found out you didn’t cut the hoses to the washing machine—your “friend” did it.  Now, at this point in the story it would seem logical that Daddy would at least attempt to apologize for the undue punishment.  That didn’t happen.  Instead, he said something like this, “You probably needed the spanking anyway.”

I know, you’re thinking, “What! That’s not right.  It’s not fair.” But don’t be too quick to cast judgement on my Daddy.  The bottom line is he should have apologized, but that was a different time, and we don’t know all the details.  Sometimes it is hard for people to apologize…even when they are wrong.  Can you identify with that?  I know I sure can. Often the words, “I’m sorry” just can’t find their way off my tongue. And if you are a member of the human race, you have probably experienced that too.

Here’s what I do know.  My Daddy was a good man, but he wasn’t a perfect man.  He, like me, made mistakes.  When I heard this story a long time ago, honestly, we probably all laughed.  Later, I’m sure it made me think and I came to this conclusion. Instead of judging him for a lapse of judgement in a moment of time I decided to go with what I knew to be true.  My Daddy loved them, and he loved me and that was simply enough.  I was willing to let love cover a multitude of sins.  I know God’s love sure has covered a big multitude of my sins…and I am grateful for that.

The big take away is this.  If you find someone has cut your washing machine hoses the most likely suspect probably doesn’t live in your house—possibly but not probably.  But more than that—always remember we are recipients of a whole pile of God’s grace, and we should be willing to extend a little.  Forgiveness is not for the person you’re forgiving—it is for you.  A heart willing to forgive is a happy heart.  And, when you find yourself against a rock and hard place trying to forgive someone who hurt you…just remember your Heavenly Father is an expert at forgiving and trust me, “He’s got this.” Bro. Dewayne

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

I’m Not Believing It

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Ephesians 2:10

In my opinion, it said more than it knew.  After my enrollment in the program to send me down the path to a medicine and diabetes free future, they sent me a box full of treasurers.  I wrote briefly about my treasure box in a previous blog titled, “Bread, Potatoes, and Pecan Pie.” If you missed that one, you might want to go to www.gritswithgrace.com  and check it out.  Anyway, the box was filled with gadgets that would monitor me, my body, and my health.  Most of them I found helpful and even engaging but there was one…there was one that I did not like.

I am an Apple guy…well, not necessarily the kind you eat but the kind you use for work and information.  I own an Apple computer, an Apple iPad, and an Apple Watch.  One of the things I like about owning the same brand in my work and life tools is that they talk to one another.  Well, when my box of treasures arrived, it included a Garmin activity tracker.  It kinda, sorta does the same thing my Apple Watch does but with a different platform.  It certainly is not an Apple Watch, but I figured I might as well give it a try.  Not willing to give up my Apple friend on my right wrist, I strapped the Garmin on my left wrist.

I know, I know, that sounds a little wonky and honestly it probably is but the Garmin looks and works very differently from my Apple Watch, so most people don’t think I am wearing two watches.  In fact, they probably don’t think anything about what’s on my wrist.  While the Garmin the device itself is not much to talk about—it is small, hard to use and blah—the app it talks to on my phone is very cool.  In fact, somehow it provides much of the same information as its big cousin.

One day I was going through the App, checking out the different screens and all the information it had gathered and analyzed.  I was impressed…until I wasn’t.  You see, there was a screen that listed about ten different areas and measurements—all about me and my body.  Most were fine, most were informative but one—one was downright offensive.  It is called, “VO2 Max.”  According to the app, the VO2 Max is a direct indictor of my level of fitness and apparently my “body age.” How this wimp, too big for its britches, something that doesn’t even know me (you can tell by now that I was personally offended by this useless chunk of plastic), I am out of shape and, get this, physically almost a decade older than I really am.

That’s right folks, according to the Garmin I am physically in the bottom 30% of men for my age and my body age is not 69 but 78.  Ok, I’m still mad and here’s why.  This out of shape, “ten years older than I am” guy, on the day after the assessment, took a brisk (as in pretty fast) two mile walk, walked 11,419 steps, burned 2,451 calories, and climbed eight flights of stairs. Now from where I sit that isn’t too bad…certainly I am no couch potato.  I mean what does this thing really know about me anyway?  And just for the record, my Apple Watch has another opinion about me…and so does my Dearest Daddy.

When I read those words, I knew I was faced with a choice.  I could believe what it said or believe what I know to be true.  I could believe what some formula, probably written by some guy in a faraway land, or believe what my reality says.  I am choosing the latter.  Now let’s be honest…I’ve got lots of room for improvement, but I am not some physical loser.  I just don’t believe it. The Garmin caused me to take a look, a close look, at where I am physically but it also caused me to take a look spiritually.  It caused me to ask, “So what do you believe about you—what others say or what God says?”

On the surface, it is a no brainer—I choose to believe my Dearest Daddy.  He calls me (and you) a masterpiece…no, really, He does.  In Ephesians 2:10, His Book, the Bible, says, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” Now, how about that?  Trust me on this one.  There are plenty of people and plenty of things that are just waiting to tell you what you are or are not.  But you remember this—there is only one opinion that matters and that comes from the One who made you.  So, I my wear the Garmin but I don’t own its opinion of me…I’ll leave that with the One who loves me more and perfectly.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in Family, food, friends, gratitude, life, prayer, priorities, Scripture, Southern born, thankful, travel, Trials

Liver Anyone?

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

If you need wisdom, ask our generous God, and He will give it to you.” James 1:5b

They were laying there taking a bath in rich, brown gravy.  Well, we had to make a trip to the South when my brother died.  He lived where I was raised, Jacksonville, Florida and was laid to rest next to our Daddy and Momma.  Well, if you know anything about Florida, you know that sitting right north is Georgia and you know the quickest way to Florida, and Disney World, is down Interstate 75.  Finally, and we are going somewhere…no pun intended…if you go down Interstate 75 to Florida you must go through Valdosta, Georgia.

As I understand it, there are only two Valdosta’s in the whole world…one in Georgia and one in Italy. Well, Judy was raised in the one in Georgia and that is where we were married so I think you could say that Valdosta is kinda home for us.  Well, we are big fans of southern cooking and there is a place in Valdosta called the Old Time Country Buffet and it has become a favorite of ours.  So, a couple from our church was visiting in South Florida and we managed to meet them on our way to Jacksonville in Valdosta.  They were offering a free lunch and a hug—both sounded really good.

So, we met at the buffet and before long I was introducing them to everything from cream corn to collards to fried chicken.  As I circled the buffet, I saw something that looked good…real good. It was a pan full of rich brown gravy and swimming in the gravy were thick slices of beef.  I had to have some.  I stabbed a couple of pieces of beef, spooned up some gravy, both for the meat and my mashed potatoes and moved on.  Things were good and they were about to be better…or so I thought.

I got back to the table, showed my plate to my friends and dove in. One of the first stops on the grand tour of my “heaped high” plate was the beef and gravy. It was tender and looked delicious and without hesitation I took a nice, big bite.  Well, immediately I thought to myself, “Hmmm, maybe beef with gravy isn’t their specialty.” It had a twang to it that I thought tasted familiar. I couldn’t quite identify it, so I took another bite and it just wasn’t good…and then I remembered.  That strange twang was not beef…it was liver…beef liver.

There are only a few things in the food world that I don’t like, but liver is definitely one of them. Yuck. Gross. I realized I had been tricked…fooled…betrayed.  Well, needless to say, that was the end of the liver.  I always try to clean my plate…usually motivated by the memory of starving kids in Africa…but this was one time the liver was heading to the trash.  Not even guilt could force me to eat this beef wanna be.

I told the people at the table how I thought it was one thing and it turned out to be something else and now…I am telling you.  It may have looked like beef but all the looks in the world wasn’t gonna change its true identity…its true taste. There was probably a sign that properly identified this “sheep in wolves clothing” but my eyes were on the pool of gravy and not the little sign.

Now I know and you know that this doesn’t just happen at buffets.  The truth is our world is filled with things that seem to be one thing and in fact are something totally different. Now if we take the time and look closely, hints of truth are usually all around but we too often see what we want see.  What we need to see is the truth.  So, the next time you are tempted to take the plunge, be sure and know what you are diving into.  Before you throw away a marriage and family, before you toss out your character, before you take a swim in the pool of regret…take the time to evaluate and count the cost.

Jesus said one time that it is foolish for a man to start building a tower before counting the cost.  After all, think how foolish he would look if he started it and couldn’t finish it…sorta like stabbing beef and getting liver.  James, the half-brother of Jesus, said that if we lack wisdom, all we need to do is ask God and He will gladly give us what we need. Beef or liver—your choice but remember this—even when we mess up God will be there to help us.  He’s got this.  Bro. Dewayne

Posted in fear, forgiveness, friends, Grace, gratitude, life, missions, prayer, Scripture, travel, Trials, wisdom

Big Rivers, Hungry Crocs & Fat Hippos

Posted on by Dewayne Taylor

But if you don’t do this, you will certainly sin against the Lord; be sure your sin will catch up with you.”  Numbers 32:23

How do things like this happen?  If you are older than three, you have probably already bumped into something that got bigger than you intended.  Whether you are a toddler reaching for the cookie jar or a teenager thinking no one will ever know or in a marriage pushing the limits…well, you’ve probably had that emptiness in your stomach when the cookie jar crashes, or dad says, “Son, we need to talk” or you come home to an empty house because word got around.  How does it happen?

Really the answer to that question is older than time and bigger than a short story with a big truth or, for that matter, a thick book full of truths but maybe we can at least cast a little light in the arena.  Judy and I have been to East Africa and the country of Uganda more than a few times.  We launch our trips to the islands of Lake Victoria from the small town of Jinga.  We enter town, with the lake on our right, and cross a small channel that leads to a decent size dam.  On the other side of the dam, and no more than fifty yards wide, is the origin of the mighty Nile River.

Now trust me, if you saw the Mighty Nile at this point you wouldn’t be too impressed.  It wanders through the Ugandan countryside on its way north before eventually emptying into the Mediterranean Sea.  The journey is somewhere over 4,100 miles and slowly the river grows and grows until it is almost two miles wide at some points.  Judy and I had the opportunity to take a ride on the Nile and besides being impressed by its size, I was more than impressed with the very large and very hungry, crocodiles that call the Nile home.  Oh, and did I mention the animal that causes more deaths in Africa than any other animal? It might not be what you think—the hippopotamus and there are lots of them in the Nile. Lots.

So, we begin with something that is relatively small that becomes large and we have something relatively benign that is dangerously filled with things that want to eat you or stomp you to death.  Either way—something little becomes big and dangerous.  And that, dear friend, is how things get out of control in our lives too.  It starts as something we think we can handle, something that almost, almost, seems safe and before long—we have a monster on our hands.  Let’s revisit the Nile.

If you were to start floating down the Nile in your little boat the first chunk of your journey would be easy.  But somewhere upstream (since the Nile flows north) there is something that will kill you—Murchison Falls.  The entire Nile River is funneled down into a rock channel that is only 23 feet wide before the water violently plummets 141 feet.  Go there and you are dead—no exceptions.  It’s the same results when we don’t pay attention to the tension that sometimes occurs in our lives.  When that tension is there…it is there for a reason.  Andy Stanley gives two good pieces of advice.  First, pay attention to the tension; and two, if something bothers you, let it bother you.  That’s good stuff.

So, the big truth today is we sometimes need to hit the pause button.  We also need to understand that we are not the exception to the rule…we can get hurt, we can create a disaster, and yes, someone will find out. Oh, by the way, do you really think it is a secret from God? The Old Testament gives us a sound warning—be sure your sins will find you out and often, when it does, well, its gonna leave a mark—a bruise—or worse.

As you journey today or tomorrow, you might want to listen for the Whisperer whispering His gentle words of warning.  Don’t ignore them…He knows truth and He knows consequences.  Our sin cost His Son His life.  However, if we ask, He will be there to help and to guide. No matter how big the crocs, or how fat the hippos, or how violent the falls—you can trust the fact that, “He’s got this.”    Bro. Dewayne