Being God's

The iChurch is here and moving ahead

2012-01-11T15:02:00.000-05:00

I’m a pretty traditional guy when it comes to church. There should be a degree of order and respect for God and His house; the traditional hymns of faith (it’s okay if there is a drum, a couple guitars, a flute, sax, violin and a synthesizer as long as the guitars don’t screech and wail louder than the words and the sanctuary can handle); you call the building a Sanctuary, not a Worship Center (makes it sound like a sports arena or something); you use a hymnal and not show everything on a screen; it’s okay to raise your hands and such, just don’t jump all over the place and hang from the chandeliers; and so on. Yeah, I am pretty traditional. Part of it may be the way I was raised, but mostly it is how I choose to worship. Personally. So, after all this being said….I do not have problems with churches who use contemporary means of music and worship to reach out. As the scriptures say, “….become all things to all men so that by some means we might save some…” I’ve been known to tap my toe or clap my hands on more than one occasion because the contemporary music is often very good and moving. Just give me the good ole’ Doxology, Gloria Patri and The Apostle’s Creed once in awhile.

The funny thing about all this is that I am totally in favor of churches using all methods of electronic media and technology to reach the communities and I see very few churches doing it. I am fortunate to be a part of a church in Conyers that does. Regular tweets of prayer requests and important news come from the church staff and volunteers. The church Facebook page stays busy during every day and night informing the membership and anyone else who looks about what is going on at the church. Daily devotional readings are posted. Photos of church events, videos of baptisms are available. They have an excellent website that is kept up to date so anyone can see what is happening right now. When people come to church, they are urged to “check-in” on Facebook so that all their friends, and their friends, can see that you are at a church in the easily accessible Henry/Rockdale/Newton area. Between services, a café is open for coffee and light refreshments with wireless internet connections available and we just sit and chat, getting to know each other better.

The biggest surprise I got a few months ago was when the sanctuary lights dimmed for the pastor’s message; I noticed a strange glow coming from across the congregation. After a few moments, I realized the light was coming from iPads, Kindles and other tablet readers where people were using them for their Bibles. Many of them also have the capability to make notes and search references as you need to. Not wanting to be left behind in the technology world of churchdom, I have begun taking my Kindle and using it. For awhile I felt terribly guilty, but I have gotten used to the convenience of looking at different versions easily and, well, kinda being on the cutting edge.

My thoughts about all this are to remember that the church of the first century is the same church as it is today. The message has not changed one bit, but the methods of “doing” church have changed. And that’s okay. We shouldn’t be mad if someone uses their iPad for a Bible, just be glad they are reading God’s Word. Don’t complain that “they do not do things like we used to.” Find somewhere else that you can be happy. All in all, folks, regardless of what you think, it is not your church. It’s God’s church and we need to remember that.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

Advent Day Twenty-five, December 21 - Jimmy lost his temper

2011-12-21T15:09:00.001-05:00

“For God loved the world so much that He gave His only Son. Anyone who believes in Him will not die spiritually, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

One thing I’ve learned by doing a daily journal through both Lent and Advent is that I tend to hold myself more accountable than I ever have before. This year was my first Lent daily journal and is my second Advent to do this and I am finding out all manner of disturbing little things about myself. Today I had to ask forgiveness for a recent episode of temper I had. As a small boy and into my teen years, I had a ferocious temper and would lash out in word and fist if rubbed the wrong way. And it didn’t take a lot of rubbing.

In my day, there was no such thing as a ‘time out’ and my parents would sentence me to hard labor in the yard or the garden for my outbursts, or for more vocal responses, I lived with a bar of soap hanging from my mouth. Eventually, through their love, patience and not giving up on me, I began to change for the good. Plus, growing up spiritually helped me, too, because I learned that God wanted us to turn that cheek and go that second mile if it meant my Christian witness would not be harmed. And….I did some harm for a number of years.

Anyway, a few days ago I lost my temper and it wasn’t as much what I said, but how I said it and what I did. (Now aren’t you all wondering?) As per my history, I didn’t give any thought to how this other person was affected; until it was pointed out to me this morning….I denied it….for awhile….then, finally, knew I had to apologize. And I have always hated to apologize. Hated it. But, today, I knew I had to and before I ate lunch, I manned up and made the call. It went well… very well… and I felt the burden lifted from my spirit. And I felt loved again. All warm and fuzzy for doing the right thing.

God loved us and sent His Son. As bad a person as I can be. And, maybe you can be. He still loves us enough to send His Son to be born as a baby in Bethlehem over 2,000 years ago so that I, Jimmy, can have the hope of being a better person and living with Jesus forever. I. Do. Not. Deserve. It. Not then…not now…not in the future. But, it wasn’t up to me. God loved me and this whole world. And, just as the wise men may have asked themselves at that birth, I still wonder at times, “What can I give Him?” And in the words of my favorite, but rarely sung, Christmas song from a few days back…..”I can give Him my heart.” And I do. Are you preparing your heart for Christ? Do you need to clear the air with God, or someone else? He’s waiting.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

The 24th Day of Advent - Tuesday, December 20

2011-12-20T12:16:00.000-05:00

Through the door beside me, I hear the classic words of a lovely Christmas song and find myself singing along….“I just want a hula hooooop,” Then I find myself humming that “I want a hippopotamus for Christmas.” Yep, I’m spending the morning in the kid’s room at the Library and story time is going on in the room behind me. Through the window, I can hear jingle bells and see the little kiddies jumping around the room in all manner of happy Christmas joy. As Miss Kathy settled the boys and girls down for the stories, I noticed that some of the books were kinda ragged and worn….the sign of a well-loved book. Sometimes when the books get too ragged and worn, the library has people that know how to fix them to look almost brand new again. That’s why some of the wonderful kid’s books (and adult books) are still on the shelves and enjoyed for years and years and years.

As we get older, our hearts get kinda ragged and worn, too. As I hit the big 60 in a very short time, I find myself rather cynical at times (I prefer to think of myself as a loveable, yet sometimes grumpy curmudgeon) about the state of the world, people in general and sometimes even the institutional church. Pretty much everything. And as I’ve written before, the days I spend in the library kid’s room always seem to refresh my heart because of the loveable and funny kids. The purity, imagination and innocence of a child is a wonderful thing and my stodgy old heart can use the boost on occasion….especially at Christmas.

During my Advent journey this year, I have tried to focus more on Jesus and a lot less on the world. I’ve looked for ways to keep my heart from becoming more ragged and worn because of the hectic, stressful days of this season. How about you? Are you feeling more and more pressured because of the holiday demands of jobs, family, church? Do you find yourself forgetting about Jesus in all the madness?

Do this for me….one evening this week, take a ride around and just look at Christmas lights on houses and in town. The McDonough Square is always a nice place to start. Then, when you get home, do not turn on the television and video games…put on some Christmas music, have a cup of hot chocolate, eggnog, cider, or even sweet tea. Doesn’t matter as long as you just sit back and enjoy a beverage as you think about what Jesus means to you and your family. Give someone a call you have lost track of, but used to be important in your life. Don’t email, text or facebook them. Call them. Catch up. Stop by the library and get a good Christmas book to read. There are lots of them, usually on a display inside the front doors. Read the Christmas Story in Luke. In Matthew. Write your own personal Christmas story. My family has been sitting around the dinner table and talking about our favorite Christmas memories and our favorite gifts. Our favorite church Christmas memory.

Jesus can take your heart and make it brand new as you travel through this Advent season and celebrate His birth in just a few days. Just listen to His gentle knocking.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Advent Day Twenty-three, Monday, December 19

2011-12-19T11:41:00.000-05:00

“The wise men fell on their faces and gave Him worship. Then they opened their treasures and offered Him gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:11)

There are two things in this verse that are important to me. One, is that the first thing the wise men did was to fall on their faces (showing truest humility and submission) and gave Him worship. They recognized this little boy, Yeshua, as a great man and one who would do great things. Second, after they gave worship, the men offered gifts. First….acknowledge Jesus as Saviour and Messiah with your worship, then offer Him your gifts.

Now comes the big question that I’ve heard all my life. “I don’t have any gifts to give.” “I’m not a preacher or teacher and I’m tone deaf.” “I don’t have any money.” “I can’t go to another country and tell people, I’m afraid and can’t afford it.” This question always aggravates me because people tend to over-analyze it and just don’t catch on to the biggest gift you can give. The gift that we all have and can give Jesus. It’s your heart. Your life. Your obedience. Your worship. Your love. Your testimony.

In the words to my favorite Christmas song that is very rarely sung – “What can I give Him, poor as I am. If I were a shepherd, I would bring a lamb. If I were a wiseman, I would do my part. But, what can I bring Him? Bring Him my heart!”

I’m a blessed man. God has given me a gift for music that I have always tried to use for His glory and His church. Except for a few rare times when I tried to accept the praise of people and let it go to my head, music has always blessed me. Playing, singing and listening. On many occasions, music touches my heart more than the spoken word…..but, that’s me. God has also given me a gift for writing and has allowed me to use it on many levels. From sharing my walk with God in newspapers, magazines, books, internet blogs and speaking engagements, I feel that God has used my peculiar view of life to encourage other people. I’ve been told that things I write are good because I can be so transparent and honest about my thoughts and stuff. Well, that may be true, but my life is God’s and I only share what I am learning as I travel each day for Him. There are good days and bad days; just like you. I stumble. And fall. All over the place. All the time. I just share them so that you may know you aren’t alone in your journey.

I encourage you to offer the gift of your heart anew to Jesus as we head into our last week of Advent, of our preparation for Jesus’ birth. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Third Weekend in Advent - December 17 & 18

2011-12-17T19:07:00.002-05:00

I took my family to lunch at Longhorn’s today which required traveling through the McDonough Square and out Jonesboro Road…..right into the heart of retail horror. I enjoyed watching the children waiting to sit on Santa’s lap up as he sat in his sleigh up on the Square. That’s always a highlight of the Saturdays of December; all the fun stuff on the Square. But, then, once we crossed the train tracks the holiday cheer came to a grinding halt…along with the traffic….along with any form of courtesy in driving….along with any calmness I had up to that point. And it only got worse as we approached the I-75 bridge and sat and sat and sat. I wanted to scream out the window that I did not wasn’t going to Target, or Belk, or Best Buy, or Sam’s, or any of the other zillion stores….I just wanted to stay in the right lane and get to Longhorn’s.

Finally, the sea of cars parted and I managed to pull in the parking lot and pile out of the car. As we walked to our table, I noticed how many people were looking at the smartphones, surfing, texting, facebooking, and making calls. The thing that disturbed me is that these were not lone diners, but were parties or two or more. What about sitting down and eating your meal makes you want to play with your phone and ignore those you are eating with? After we finished eating and headed to PetSmart, the craziness of drivers seemed to multiply. Ignoring lane markings, lane directions, stop signs, trying to beat you to any parking place you headed for, one even jumped into the handicapped parking place after cutting me off…..and, of course, as this very young driver hopped out of their car, there was no apparent physical disability. “Only stupidity,” I thought. I wanted the spot so that my mom who has legitimate walking problems wouldn’t have to walk so far to the pet store.

After fighting the fight to get home, I wanted to throw myself on the sofa and cover up my head with both anxiety and anger issues. I wonder every year if the time will come when we can slow it down and enjoy Christmas as what it was meant to be. Quietness, stillness, calmness, taking time with family and friends for some quality time, cutting back on the money and amounts of gifts. Personally, I like to give things from the WMU Worldcrafts online store where women and children in impoverished countries make simple gift items to sell in this store to earn a little money to provide for their families. I like buying the notecards with rice kernel designs from some Chinese and Thai ladies. Also, the carved wood items from Jordan, Central America and Africa make nice gifts at a very small price. I can shop online, spend money that is going to a cause to help people in need, and have unique gifts each year. Interesting homemade gifts can also be bought at the Fairview Senior Center and the funds help out Senior Services.

When I get caught up in the horrors of traffic and shopping and long days and nights, Jesus is the last thing on my mind. Usually, homicide is in the forefront of my thinking. That’s why the past couple of years, I have made conscious efforts to not get caught up into doing every single thing I am asked to do. No longer do I have to spend every evening of December at the church. Sure, I’d like to go to that particular party, I’m sorry I just can’t this year. You don’t owe explanations, just “I’m sorry, I just can’t make it.” Even though it would be fun….save yourself. Turn off the television and listen to music as you sip your hot chocolate in front of the fire. Read a story to your kids or other family.

You are the most important gift you can give to Jesus during this season and I encourage you to give Him a calm, peaceful spirit where you are truly celebrating His birth. He can’t use any of us if we are frantic and stressed; He is our Peace.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Advent Day Twenty - Friday, December 16

2011-12-16T19:46:00.002-05:00

“…God loved us and sent His Son…” (I John 4:10)

Have you ever experienced someone in your family having a baby? Your wife, mom, sister, daughter, aunt? Do you remember the excitement that ran rampant through the house in those last weeks? No matter how big the house, it seems that people keep running into each other and no one seems to know where anything is… everyone seems to talk at the same time, you might just break out into a goofy grin with no obvious reasons….the whole family and household is in upheaval until the baby arrives and gets home.

Now, in my odd little mind, I think that there must have been some major excitement going on in heaven during these few weeks before Jesus was born. After all, He was the Son of the Father and one of the biggest events of all time was about to take place. Angels were practicing their “Gloria” chorus, others were working out the details for the great star and lighting up the heavens; some were plotting out the logistics of appearing to shepherds in a mighty chorus (after all, this whole angel group appearing was a new thing), while many were probably just running the streets in a pure frenzy of excitement of what was about to happen. I hope this unscriptural illustration doesn’t offend anyone, but I like to think that all the heavenly inhabitants were excited that Jesus was coming to be born as a baby and bring God’s Love to all mankind. Think about it and see if you can imagine it, too.

Christmas is an excellent time for preparing all those around you for Christ’s coming. So many may have lost the joy of their salvation and need to be reminded; other friends and neighbors may not have a relationship with Jesus at all. Just as the prophets prepared the way for His birth and John prepared the way for His ministry, so should we prepare the way for His next coming. What better way to do that than to share the story of God’s greatest Love Gift to them now? Print up some little cards about your church programs and hand them out in your neighborhood. Put the schedule on Facebook. Wear an “It’s okay to say Merry Christmas” button wherever you go….and say it. (Now, please don’t harass retail clerks who have been instructed to say Happy Holidays…it’s their job and they may have no choice) Get excited about your walk with God and don’t be shy about sharing it. Smile. Whistle Christmas carols. Whatever you can do.

God loved us and sent His Son. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Day 18 of Advent - Wednesday, Dec. 14 - The Blue-Eyed Monkey

2011-12-14T15:32:00.002-05:00

“Jesus loves the little children; all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white; they are precious in his sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.” (Children’s song)

In case you haven’t known this, I work part time at one of the public libraries in Henry County. Normally, I sit behind the circulation desk on the adult side and check in and out books for folks, print their computer work, give them some computer assistance, listen to their rants and raves about the economy, politics and life in general. Basically, I’m a bartender, just with books instead of booze. Each Wednesday, I am able to transport myself into the marvelous, wonderful side of the building known as “the kid’s room.” It’s where the elementary school kids come for their books and the room is filled with pictures, a colorful train full of books, and dragons hanging overhead a medieval castle circulation desk. But, the most magical thing about the room is the kids themselves.

As I sit there, they will come up and we will engage in the most serious conversations about almost anything. Just a big ago, I chatted with a young girl about the blue-eyed monkey that is in here back yard most of the time, but lives in the forest next door. She is hoping that the monkey will not eat all of the bird seed and peanut butter that is in her new bird feeder. She has also seen toucans and tigers wandering. So, we had the best time talking about what the toucans ate, what the monkey did in the afternoons and on and on we went. The world of these children refreshes my mind and cleans up my sometimes cynical attitude so easily.

It’s no wonder that Jesus told His disciples to “let the children come to Him” and that we had to come accept Him “as a child” in our faith and love…in other words, not all ‘cynic-ish’ and with qualifications. Just pure and simple, like a child.

It’s kinda like that as we journey through Advent. If you just take the story at face value….virgins giving birth by a supernatural being…angels singing to shepherds….stars guiding the way….intelligent astrologers traveling to find this baby….a murderous plot by a King…dreams and more dreams sending people all over the region….well, to be honest with you, it would be a bit hard to believe. Again, at face value. But, when we know the story at ‘faith value,’ then we can simply, purely, believe and accept. Like a child. God loved us and sent His Son. That’s the basics. All we have to do is Believe. Love Him. Love Others. Tell. Do what He asks. Obey. Pure and simple.

Just like a little girl in Stockbridge who has a blue-eyed monkey living in her back yard. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Advent Day Thirteen - Friday, December 9

2011-12-09T13:50:00.000-05:00

“And the Child, Yeshua, continued to grow and become strong, increasing in wisdom, and the grace of God was upon Him.” (Luke 2:40)

I may not be different from many of you. My parents prepared the way for Jesus in my life from the time I was born. They made sure I was in Sunday School, Church, choirs, VBS, Sunbeams (who remembers that?), then RA’s and anything else I could join. They never gave any pressure to us about going; it was just accepted that we go to church and are involved in the programs. And I liked it and learned much. From flannelgraph lessons to music games and songs, to learning to sit still in ‘big church’ and calling adults by Mr. and Mrs. Instead of their first names. Then, one Saturday night when I was eleven or so, my mom was studying her Sunday School lesson and she began to ask me some gentle, easy questions about me and what I believed. She led me to Christ that night and I followed it up with a preacher meeting the next week. I was baptized on Easter Sunday and have done my best to follow Jesus ever since. I have not always been the most successful at it, but I know that He has forgiven me for the slips and stumbles….and that’s the important thing.

Since that time, I have grown much in my knowledge of God and such things. I experienced at call to ministry as a High School Junior and have spent most of my adult life serving in various ministry positions. From a staff Minister, to a ministry assistant, to now as a musician and scribe for the Lord. The above verse speaks so much to me because it is much like my life (except my name isn’t Yeshua.

I think it is important during this season to take a step back and think about your early walk with God and with Jesus. Remember where you came from and how you’ve grown. You may have come to this relationship early in life or later in life; it doesn’t matter because you are in it now. And we all should be growing. Have you drifted away? Have you stayed close? Can you remember the joy you felt? Do you still feel it? Or, has it just gotten “comfortable?” Before you go any further into the Advent season, it is important to remember. Just like during Lent when we focus on Christ’s sacrifice for us on the cross and our response to that, now I focus on preparing my heart and my life for the celebration of Christ’s birth.

Please know that from today on, as we hit the midway point of Advent, that I will be praying for each of you. And I encourage you to pray for each other and for me. We’re in for a journey of Love and pure Awe as we approach the day of Christmas.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable Gift!

Day Twelve of Advent - December 8 - A little lady from Thailand

2011-12-08T10:36:00.002-05:00

For several months, my mom has been teaching English as a Second Language to a lady in her neighborhood. Noi is from Thailand and even though she has been in America for a number of years, she has much difficulty with speaking and writing. Through this time, they have become close friends and our whole family has enjoyed getting to know Noi.

As is most of Thailand, Noi is Buddhist. Her faith is as deeply steeped in her as is her culture. My mom has heard her speak of others who are very assertive in trying to reach Noi for Christ and Christianity, to the point where Noi is in tears because she feels her culture and faith are being torn apart. As she and my mother have gotten closer, mom has been very cautious about speaking out to her, but would carefully choose simple scriptures to help her learn English, grammar and punctuation. Many times that has led to a conversation about Christianity. We all pray that in time, Noi will come to know Jesus as her Saviour, but it has to be in her time, in God’s time, not our time.

God sent His Son. To this world. To save us. To Love us. To Teach us how to live for Him. And to share His message. Of Love. To all. For centuries, the message of God’s love was kept to the Jewish nation and not spread to other races and cultures. It wasn’t until Jesus came and told us to ‘go and tell all nations’ that the Gentiles were invited into the message.

How are you preparing the world for the coming of Christ? Are you only telling people like yourself? Are you only telling people you know because you are shy around strangers? Are you not telling anybody at all? The way I figure it, the Advent season is to help prepare for the coming of Christ…as a baby. Well, I think we are now in an Advent season because we are still to be preparing for Christ’s coming…in his final return! The time when all nations, every tribe, every person, every knee will bow to worship Him.

Don’t waste this season of Advent. Tell others. Meet them where they are and in what they need. Tell them in Love and not in condemnation or threatening words. Just love ‘em. And each other.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Advent Day Eleven - December 7

2011-12-07T15:42:00.000-05:00

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” (Matthew 2:1-2)

What a happy and joyous day it was when the Magi set out to find the newborn King of the Jews. Why wouldn’t it be? A centuries old promise was coming true. The Messiah was here. The people would be freed from their domination by the Romans. No longer slaves and servants. The Magi knew how important this baby was and was coming to worship Him and to bring precious gifts. Everyone was happy, well, except for Herod, the present king of the Jews. When he received the visit from the Magi, his well-known paranoia immediately went into hyper-drive to protect his throne for himself and his heirs. But, that is a story for another time. Today, I am thinking about two things. One is that King Herod was not happy at Jesus’ birth. The other is that I think it rather bittersweet that the description given “the King of the Jews” used at his birth, was also used at His death – as it was the description written on the plaque hung over Jesus’ head on the cross. The King of the Jews.

Christmas is not a wonderfully happy time for many people. The memories of family and friends who have passed away, or the relationship has been strained is always in our minds. Those who have lost jobs, homes, financial difficulties make gift-buying hard or impossible lead to memories of better Christmases in the past. Loneliness is always more prevalent during any holiday season, but especially at Christmas. Single adults can really be hit hard by this, even if they are a single parent. Often, their children are spending part of all of Christmas with the other parent and you feel kinda out of place with no where to go.

I have spent the majority of my adult life in student ministry. I love student ministry, yet do not have a place of service at the current time. It is easy for me to look at “my students” who have grown up and may have families of their own now and be lonely for those days of nightly romps of mischief, times of serious discussions over tacos or pizza about what God wants from them….and what they want from God, traveling on choir tours, student retreats, camps, ski trips, all that goes with that ministry. But, God fills that void. Sometimes. There are nights when even though I am at home with family (my mom and brother live with me), yet I do feel very lonely for times past. Not that my life now isn’t a hoot and half, ‘cause it is, but sometimes the “what was” thoughts creep in.

As a single adult, and as a guy, and as a minister, I feel that I have to do what I must to keep living the example Christ taught us. Yet, sometimes during this season it is hard. I’m blessed with good friends, yet sometimes I want some best friends. Someone to call at 10pm to make a Waffle House run with. Someone to head to the beach with for a weekend…at a moment’s notice. Someone to hike a trail with or something. Sometimes, singleness is just tough. Churches don’t really embrace a single adult, especially after they turn 30. I don’t know why, but they don’t. And there are thousands of us who need a church to plan and be intentional about a single adult ministry…not a dating service….a ministry. Oops, getting on my soapbox now.

Yet, Christ came to this earth and knows what it is like. He was single, even though the scriptures don’t give a lot of stories about that. But, I know that He was and He faced the same things we do. That gives me hope. And a peace. And a feeling of not being so alone. Let me encourage you to pray for each other these next few weeks as we head toward Christmas Day. Someone out there needs a lift.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Day Ten of Advent - Tuesday, December 6

2011-12-06T11:12:00.002-05:00

Let me give you a quick glance into my day, thus far. (I really love the word ‘thus’).

This past weekend was extremely busy with newspaper interviews, research and articles to write; talking to friend and research for book I’m working on about ALS; Church; car problems; getting to and from everywhere while juggling cars; laundry (for a single guy, I seem to generate a ton of dirty clothes); a couple community events to attend…and on and on. Definitely not a relaxing time. So, I was looking forward to a couple days to recoup, relax and get some reading and writing done. After catching up on some errands on Monday after getting my car back, Tuesday was the day to tackle Operation Calming Jimmy. Oh well….

After breakfast I headed to my office/sunroom/fortress of solitude to get busy. Turning on my dinosaur of a desktop computer it decided today was the day to virus scan every file and document meaning it would be Thursday before it finished. So, I headed to get my much newer and faster laptop when I remembered that I needed to get the final load of clothes from the dryer, but before I got there, I had to go get my iPod to sync with some new downloads, but then I remembered to get my laptop and put on some vegetables for supper while I was up. So, I ended up in my bedroom with no clue why I was standing there. So, I headed back to the office, having to get up and get the laptop, sat back down and brought up email. About this time the stove timer rang to remind me to check the vegetables, but when I got to the kitchen, there was nothing cooking. The veggies were still in the crisper. Headed back to the office, then remembered the clothes in the dryer and then the house phone rang so I answered it and while talking remembered the whole iPod deal, but forgetting the dryer. Sitting back down, I noticed a kitchen cabinet I had forgotten to close and WHO can possible work when a cabinet or drawer is slightly ajar. See? No wonder I’m half loopy all the time.

When things go awry and spiral into Crazytown, it can be a frustrating thing and the Christmas season can even make it worse. We get so caught up in all the activities, programs, dinners, parties, etc. that our minds have a hard time shutting down enough to even sleep well. For many years, I dreaded and (almost) hated Christmas because of this every reason. Between my job and something at church every night and weekend, I just wanted January to get here. However, things are different now. A lot of it is that I’ve grown up and learned to say ‘No.’ And mean it. And not feel compelled to offer explanations. Just ‘No.’ I’ve also learned to listen to a lot more music and a lot less television (hence the iPod I keep forgetting to sync).

Christ is the Lord of Peace. If we burden our minds and hearts so much during these weeks that we lose track of His birth and His life and his simple message to love each other. Plus, how can we help prepare others for His Birthday if we’re so exhausted in our spirits and bodies that we really don’t care. Let me to encourage you to slow down, calm down, and feel a little of God’s Love embracing you. He. Wants. Your. Heart. Not your ‘busy-ness.’ Honor the Christ of Christmas by relaxing a little and breathing in His Peace. Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Day 9 of Advent - Preparing for Christ at the Publix..

2011-12-05T11:13:00.002-05:00

The past couple of Sundays, I’ve had to scoot out of the church between services and make a quick run to the corner Publix for an item or two. It has struck me both times how incredibly busy the store is at 9:45 on a Sunday morning. I am seriously not being judgmental, but the majority of folks are not dressed as if they were coming from or going to church. Many looked like they had just gotten up and going on a morning grocery run. Others had a full cart as if Sundays were the best time to do their family shopping. Some were scanning the deli shelves for lunch and others were hanging out at the pharmacy.

“Why are these folks not in church,” I wondered. It is hard for me to realize that not everybody in the world goes to church and are out living their lives as if there weren’t three churches within a block of that Publix. Then, I started to think (scary as that is). If the church wants to reach the unchurched, why don’t we go out to where they are on Sunday mornings? Once in a while, a class could head to the local shopping center on a Sunday morning to just share a word of encouragement to the people, to pass out a welcoming card to a local church, give them a Merry Christmas button or sticker, to sing Christmas carols in the parking lot…anything to shake things up for Jesus. In the spring and summer, head to the neighborhoods and speak a work with those doing yard work…give them a bottle of cool water…give a cloth to tie around their necks to wipe the sweat….I don’t know…get creative with it. Folks think they are safe from the “church-people” between 8:30 and noon on Sundays, so they come out and run all their errands….so, why don’t we surprise them? Catch them where they live.

I don’t mean we should do this every week, but on occasion, why not? Advent is all about preparing the world for the coming of Christ. Paul tells us that he has learned to “become all things to all people that they might be saved.” Reaching them where they are. In Matthew, we are told to go into the world to tell, teach, and make disciples. Maybe coming outside the church walls on a Sunday morning is one way to do this. I wonder where Jesus would be? Sitting inside a sanctuary 52 weeks a year, or taking a week to go meet folks at the Publix?

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Day Six of Advent - December 2

2011-12-02T20:43:00.001-05:00

“And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.’” (Luke 2:13-14)

The Henry County Rotary Club recently made available a Christmas CD made up of many church choirs here in our County singing a Christmas anthem. The remarkable thing was to look at the list of churches and see the diversity of congregations and music. Black, white, Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Christian, Non-denominational, traditional, contemporary, large church, small church, medium church, all groups that make up Henry County were represented. What a marvelous coming-together of God’s people offering their gifts of music to the entire community this was.

The best thing was that the many different voices came together for one purpose. To share the message of Jesus. From familiar carols to those not so common, the story of God’s Love and the birth of Christ is being shared on CD players all over the place this year. I hope that those people listening will not get so caught up in the quality and style of the presentations, but hear the simple message proclaimed by each of the choirs with the sincerity with which they sang. The Rotarians provided a great vehicle for the message of Christmas.

A long time ago, a large choir (however big a host might be) sang to a group of shepherds about the same thing. The birth of a baby who would be called the Christ. One who would change the world by saving people from their sins. Would their message have been any less important if a note or two were slightly off-key? Would the Love they came to share been any less meaningful if the rhythm was a little weird here and there? Nope! I don’t think so. God looks at our heart and wants us to sing and tell others from our heart, not with the eloquent words of a professional speaker or singer. We can often get so wrapped up in saying things correctly, that we lose the message.

During this season of Advent as we prepare our hearts for Christ, just remember to tell others about Him. Just as you are. God can use you with a tangled tongue and an off pitch song just as well as with the best quality. Sometimes, perhaps even more because then those around us realize that we are human, not some perfect being. Tell the message. As you are. I’ll be praying for you as you look for your way to sing.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Day five of Advent - December 1

2011-12-01T18:58:00.000-05:00

“For the Son of Man came to seek and save those who are lost.” (Luke 19:10)

I worked at the library today and just before lunch time the fire and sprinkler alarms went off. There was no water, just flashing lights and that horrible horn every second. Not knowing what was going on, we evacuated all the patrons and locked the front doors to keep anyone from coming back into the building. Then we on the staff settled down to wait for the fire and police departments to come…..and to get the alarms and strobe lights turned off. Two hours later, the alarm company finally showed up and was able to deactivate the system which gave us blessed quietness. However, since the building was basically unprotected from any fire and sprinkler alarms, we could not reopen to the public.

Even though signs were posted on the front doors advising people of this, there were still many, many angry people upset because they could not come in to do whatever they needed to do. After about three hours, we were still closed and the mobs were literally growing even angrier. Their day and their plans were interrupted and we were the only ones around to face them. As for me, I was hiding in the kid’s room supply closet with earplugs and a stick.

When Christ was born, a lot of disruptions of daily routines began. The Pharisees and their (often) over zealous enforcement of the religious laws began to crumble. This angered them to the point they wanted to kill Jesus. The family lives of the disciples changed when these men chose to leave homes and jobs to follow Jesus. Suppose your husband or father popped the news at supper one evening that he was leaving to follow some guy who really had some good ideas about how to live well? Think of how the knowledge of Jesus’ heritage must have disrupted the normal family life of Mary, Joseph and the other children?

How does Christ disrupt my daily life? If He doesn’t disrupt it in some way, then…well…perhaps I need to re-examine my relationship. Having Jesus in my life should show a stark difference to those in the world around. In my actions at work and home. In my language. In my choices of television and movies (Ouch!). Yes, I’m talking about me here, but you just might see a bit of you, too. Christ came to be the great disrupter of the world. Are you being a disrupter for His sake? I pray for your strength each day to make a difference for Jesus.

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Advent Day 4 - Wednesday, November 30

2011-11-30T16:04:00.000-05:00

“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense and myrrh.” (Matthew 2:10-11)

Yesterday (November 29) was my birthday. It has always been a source of encouragement to my writing that I share a birthday with Louisa May Alcott, one of my favorite authors. We have both written that it seems appropriate that we were born in a gloomy, gray, unpredictable month since I feel my life runs the same gamut at times. Somedays, I feel like it is bright, sunny and in the 70’s; other days, cold, bitter, windy and in the 30’s. Kinda true about November, isn’t it.

Not being a believer in astrology, horror-scopes and all those things, I don’t really know what the characteristics are for a Sagittarius, but I do know that I have always sought for something more. Something bigger. Something that includes my name in lights and has me being interviewed by Diane Sawyer. To this day, I know without a doubt, that I could appear in a Broadway musical just as easily as I could win a Nobel Prize for Writing. There is a star out there with my name on it that I am constantly following. Perhaps even on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

However, besides the star of ‘my hopeful fame,’ there is a much more important Star that I follow in my life. The same star that led the Shepherds and the Magi over 2,000 years ago. The same star that came to shine over Bethlehem. Over Jesus’ birth. Over the Saviour. My Saviour. Without that Star my life would have absolutely no direction or meaning. If it means all I do for the rest of my days is to plunk away on a piano keyboard for a church, or click away on a computer keyboard writing my journals and thoughts down to share with others, then that is okay with me. As long as I can do what I do for God’s glory, then I’m accomplishing more than starring in the largest Broadway show or winning the largest journalism award in the world. I will give all I have to Him. Will You?

(But, could I still get that Diane Sawyer interview, please?….)

Advent Day 3 - Tuesday, November 29

2011-11-29T19:42:00.001-05:00

“O Come, O Come, Emmanuel and ransom captive Israel
That mourns in lonely exile here until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.” (John Mason Neale)

Both scripture and other historical writings show that the Jewish people, long enslaved by Rome, were eagerly waiting for a Messiah, a Saviour, someone to come rescue them from their bondage and free them to be their own nation. These same sources tell in many places that the people wanted a mighty soldier and warrior to come with armies, horses, chariots and weapons to physically destroy Rome and prove to the other nations that the Jewish people were not to be reckoned with. They were God’s chosen people and they would be invincible. Powerful. Indestructible.

What did they get? A baby. A (probably) crying, squalling baby. Lying in a feed trough in a nasty stable in the nasty town of Bethlehem. No horses and soldiers. Instead donkeys, cows, sheep and dirty smelly shepherds. No wonder the Jewish people have such a difficult time in accepting Jesus as their Messiah.

What do you expect out of Jesus? Can you first remember hearing of Him? Can you first remember what you thought He could do for you? I remember as a young teenager when I first came to a knowledge of Jesus that I anticipated a world free of heartache, pain…full of sunny days and happy thoughts. Where the birds sing my name and the squirrels iron my clothes. Well, sorta. I honestly did think that I would now have the power to zap those kids that teased me for being a band nerd. And when I got in mongo-trouble for “borrowing” a school bus in 11th grade with some buddies for a McDonald’s run…I figured Jesus would get me out of trouble. Nope. Didn’t happen.

As we prepare for the celebration of Christ’s birth, it’s a good idea to focus on what and who He really is. The Son of God. The One who was born and lived on earth, experiencing the same human emotions and struggles as we do so that He can understand what you and I face every day. The One who was finally betrayed and denied by his closest companions, then died the most horrible death imaginable (even by today’s Hollywood standards). But. But. But…He rose from the dead so that I can live eternally with Him. And all this because He. Loves. Me.

I cannot imagine this Love. I do some very unlovable things, yet, Jesus loves me. And I celebrate His birth in a few weeks. In a very personal way, I celebrate it.

Think about the Love that came down at Christmas and reflect on His love for you. I mean…really focus on it….not just a passing thought. Think about His Love. What are you going to do about it?

Joy to the World!

Advent Day 2 - November 28

2011-11-28T22:55:00.002-05:00

“Then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah and he was startled and gripped with fear. But the angel said to him: “Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife, Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to give him the name John.” (Luke 1:11-13

This new baby, John, would grow up to be known as John the Baptizer, or John the Baptist. He was the cousin of Jesus (who would be born later) and John’s primary role was to prepare the way for Jesus. As boys, John and Jesus more than likely played together, swam together, camped out together, did chores together, got into trouble together, visited each other’s homes, and all those things that cousins do….especially boy cousins. Do you reckon John knew that Jesus was the Messiah as they were growing up? Would he have treated him differently? Or did John not know until Jesus met him at the Jordan River to be baptized? That’s one of those questions I wonder about sometimes, but figure I can ask John about it when I finally meet him in heaven.

But, as an adult, as the Preparer, John had the responsibility to point the way to one who is yet to be known. To tell people and urge them to get their hearts right because their Messiah was coming. John was diligent and (according to the scriptures) he sacrificed much in the way of shelter, clothing and food. He was dedicated and committed to his calling. Locusts and wild honey? I don’t think so. Unless there was chocolate to cover it with.

If you look at it through my odd little way of seeing things, John was the first observer of Advent. He sorta wrote the first set of lesson plans and we are still following his example. We, as Christians in 2011, are here to prepare the way for Christ’s coming for the second time. The final time. As in John’s time, people are stubborn to hear the truth and not willing to set aside their comfortable lifestyles to follow the Jesus way. The Christmas season is one where at least the unbelieving world may think a teench more about the meaning of Christmas and at least use the name of Christ when they say Christmas.

By my thinking, this season of Advent is a prime time for us to prepare the world around us for Christ. Our church has passed out buttons for us to wear that tell whoever we meet that “It’s okay to say Merry Christmas.” Encourage folks that may tick us off by just telling them “Merry Christmas”……and smile. Show the love. Do some random acts of kindness. Volunteer some time to those in need. Put a dollar or two in the Salvation Army bucket. I was a bell ringer for the Army the last few years and hope to do it again during December. Why don’t you volunteer to be a ringer? Give some canned goods or toys to one of the local food banks or children’s homes. Dollar stores have a great supply and your dollars can go a long way. Pick up the newspaper from a senior adult’s driveway and take it to the door. Just do something.

Let me encourage you to think long, hard and creatively about how you can be a Preparer during these next few weeks. And do it all in the name of Jesus. Our Savior. Emmanuel.

Joy to the World!

Advent - Day 1 Sunday, November 27

2011-11-27T16:51:00.004-05:00

Advent – Day 1 Sunday, November 27

Have you gotten your house or dorm room all decorated for Christmas? Way back in the dark ages when I was young, people did not usually decorate until just a couple weeks before Christmas. Stores never had Christmas decorations or advertisements until after Thanksgiving and there was no such thing as “Black Friday” or “Cyber Monday” shopping.

Now we see Christmas hitting the stores just after Labor Day, craziness and mayhem beginning in the stores after Thanksgiving and it seems every day and evening is filled with church, school, business, family and neighborhood Christmas things. Not wanting to be left out, we join the crowds and rushing willy nilly through the rushing torrent known as the “joyous” holiday season and finally arrive at the first of January full of stress and frustration.

For a number of years, Christmas was my least favorite time of year. I dreaded for mid-November to come because I knew my evenings for the next five or six weeks would be occupied by music rehearsals, church meetings, church dinners, church services, business dinners and meet & greet parties, family reunions, and on and on. Fa-la-la-la-la-ppbbt! I could have easily skipped the whole thing. I never decorated my home because I was never home to enjoy it. And the worst part of it all was that I lost the true meaning of Christmas – the birth of Jesus, my Saviour.

It’s different for me now. I don’t know whether it is a result of growing older and realizing that I just had to slow it down and smell the pine branches or a result of the fact I finally learned how to prepare for Christmas. For Christ. For the season of His birth. His birth was on a quiet night in a small town with not a lot of hubbub. So different from the world in 2011. I had to learn to say ‘no’ to some things that may be fun, but would just put me over the top of the stress pot. In time, that stress pot would overflow and the reason for the season would be lost.

This morning, our church began Advent with the traditional service of the “Hanging of the Green.” It was glorious. Simple, calm, informal in a way, no one screaming if a musical mistake was made or someone stood up at the wrong time. The garlands and wreaths were hung, holly and ivy set in place, candles lit, poinsettias set out and lots of music. Again, it was glorious. A time for my church family to come together and begin the Advent season. Advent. The coming of Christ. Emmanuel.

How are you preparing for the upcoming celebration of the coming of Christ? Let me encourage you to not act like me in times past and go full-goose-bozo-crazy with all the stuff, but to keep your eyes on Jesus. Immerse yourself in the Bible and find some good daily Advent devotionals. (I just happen to have a couple books of Advent devotions that I’ve written in years past that I’d be glad to give you…..selfish self-promotion here). I’ll be praying for you as we all enter this exciting season.

Joy to the World!

Me and My Baggage

2011-11-07T14:55:00.001-05:00

I’m heading off this weekend for a church retreat and I am already remembering that…...my friends hate to travel with me. Whether it is vacation, a weekend camping trip, an overnight hike or a musical tour, they hate to see my car pull into the driveway. Why is that? I am not one to travel lightly. Even if it is a weekend trip, there are always those circumstances for which I must plan.

You know, the ‘what if I fall in the pool or lake more than once’ and need extra socks and pants. ‘What if I find a good wireless connection for my laptop’ and I can get some surf time in? So, I usually end up with one bag full of my electronics (Laptop, iPod, iPad, Blackberry, digital camera, portable DVD player and various chargers and cables), then another bag full of twice as many clothes as I actually need, then another bag with the essentials of travel, like chocolate and potential water balloons.

The point is that I’m known for all the baggage I trundle along with as I travel the highways. Are you the same way? Regardless of how you pack for a trip, we all do have one thing in common and that is the unseen baggage that we carry. We have accumulated it from failed relationships, financial problems, abusive situations, employment problems, broken or dysfunctional families, lack of education and so many other areas far too numerous to name. It is much easier to leave a suitcase at home than it is to leave some of our internal baggage behind.

Now, before you get all excited about this being an expose’ on my life I will just share that I have my own fair share of baggage. I’ve also learned that it does not matter what age we are, we can still add to the stack of luggage we carry and it gets heavier and heavier with each day unless we learn to deal with it. By this time in my life, I’ve got a trainload full. As a Christian, it is easy for me to say, ‘Oh, just turn it all over to God and He’ll take your cares away” (I Peter 5:7), but to be honest, sometimes that just doesn’t cut it for me. My personality is one to take care of things myself and effect the changes I need to make.

One of my favorite vocalists and Christian brother is my good long-time friend, Kirk Talley, who wrote a song several years ago entitled “Past Your Past”. In it he speaks of a young lady who was struggling with a lot of old baggage and could not put it behind her to begin living in today. You can find it on iTunes, if you are interested. The song goes on to encourage her (and us);

“You can get past your past. You can walk away from painful memories. Get past your past; you don’t have to be alone. You can stand upon the Word of God; your yesterdays can be gone. Let Jesus bring you past your past and then you can go on.”

Music is the medium that speaks to my soul. Be it good jazz and blues, rock and roll, or contemporary Christian; music can stir me like no other vehicle. Each time I hear this song, I am reminded that I can put my baggage behind and move on into today. First I must ask God’s forgiveness and then I have to forgive myself. It’s hard, it’s scary, it can be emotional and it may require accountability with others, but you can begin to leave your past behind, one tote bag at a time.

And for today my friends, this is the gospel according to Jimmy.

Life Happens

2011-09-20T10:55:00.001-04:00

Life happens. We wake up in the morning, gulp down something for breakfast or go through the drive-thru, drive to work fighting traffic and all the stupid drivers, arrive at the office late and irritated just to find that there is a meeting in 20 minutes that you still have to copy, collate, staple and create binders for because ‘somebody’ forgot to tell you the time was changed from the afternoon,grab a quick lunch at your desk or the break room, drive home with the same stupid drivers, fix supper, clean house, laundry, pay bills, head to bed only to not be able to sleep because it is all about to start again. Saturdays are crammed full of yard work, church or county sports and activities, groceries and on and on. Plus in the whole process above are spouses, children, family, phone calls and the whole rest of, well, of life.

Then comes Sunday. Theday of rest. The day when I meet God. The day when I thank Him for my abundant life. The day of praise and worship. Except when the alarm goes off, the last thing I want to do is …… church. I would much prefer to attend either St. Mattress or Bedside Baptist. So many times when I get to the building that houses my church, my mind is still reeling from the week behind (and the week ahead) that I couldn’t hear God if He were standing on my shoulder with a megaphone in my ear.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

“What,” I say?

“Be still….and know….that I am God.”

This past Sunday ourchurch engaged in the act of Holy Communion. I do not use the term, Lord’s Supper, as many do just because the personal nature of the service is one of communion with God. Lord's Supper seems kinda flippant and not as, well, Holy, as I need for it to be. And that’s important. Communion. Holy Communion. Letting God talk to you. Love you. Comfort you. Calm you. Quiet the buzzing in your head.

This week's Holy Communion was a special time for me. I guess God needed to do some work with me because when we entered that period of our service, and the music was playing, I began to feel God’s presence over in my little corner of the sanctuary. There wasn’t any earth shattering revelation coming to me; just the fact that I needed to….

“Be still and know that I am God.”

That includes a daily quiet time. Not just a couple hours on Sunday. That includes a constant state of “Being God’s.” Not just a couple hours on Sunday. That includes being in communion with my heavenly Father all the time; listening, talking and fellowshipping. Being still.

Is this easy? Nope.It’s hard as can be because we live in and are a part of a very distracting world, but we are to be set apart and follow God’s leading for our lives. All the time. And the only way to do that is to….

“Be still….”

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

Of Debt, Diet Cokes and Ticks

2011-09-12T20:16:00.002-04:00

‘Tis the season, it seems, for me to be inundated with things that cause my focus to drift from the things of importance to the things of annoyance. My focus should remain on God and trying to live my life in a manner pleasing to Him. However, being the human I am, it is mighty hard to keep that goal clear. I guess you could almost describe me as an ADHD Christian. I really want to keep myself in tune with God, but it is a difficult thing to do in the everyday world of 2011. Now, don’t be getting all smug, because I also know most of you fight the same battles.

Recently, my battles have been against three very tangible things. One of them is debt. Being a single guy, I often find myself battling a Lexus desire with a Gremlin pocketbook. I love electronic toys, clothes, books, and traveling, however, the checkbook doesn’t always allow for such luxuries. The evil plastic card often takes over at that point and all of a sudden, I find myself in a higher debt ratio than I want or should have. Paying off these bills, plus the rising costs of gasoline and other sundries, depletes the bank account faster than it used to. Somehow that retirement check just doesn’t go as far as it used to. In these times, what is the first thing to cut? Support for the church, missions and God’s work. It is a terrible thing to admit, but it is often true. As Christians, we are to give a portion of our earnings back to God for His work, however, when the choice is between the house note and a check to the church…. well, the house wins.

I also tend to have an addictive relationship with Diet Cokes. Now, in and of itself, that’s not such a terrible addiction to have, except that there is no nutrition in those cans and it takes even more money to feed my fix. As a result, I have gained unnecessary weight, spent more money than I need to and have not kept my body in the best shape by not providing the fruit juice, water or other more healthy beverages. We are told in the scripture “our bodies are the temple of God,” well, this temple is pretty fat, unhealthy and broke. I feel bad physically and then emotionally, so I know that God is not pleased with how I am keeping house for Him. Let’s not even think about the word ‘exercise.’

This past week, my leisure time activities seem to be primarily that of checking for ticks. The woods and privet in my backyard must be a fertile breeding ground for this horrid creatures and I think my name is on their list as a good meal. The purpose of a tick is to, well, let’s just say, they have a parasitic relationship that does a person no good, but benefits the tick greatly. Then, there is always the chance of several deadly diseases that can be transmitted to humans (and I’m sure I have all of them by now, plus a few yet to be discovered).

Where am I going with all this? I am learning that I need to keep my physical and financial life straightened out so that nothing can stand in the way of my relationship with God. Being a better steward of my finances and my health will keep my desire for God from being sucked out of me like some little parasite. These are just a couple examples from my life, but you need to examine yourself for what is keeping you from that God walk. Could it be a bad relationship that you can’t get past and forgive? Can it be pride that keeps you from letting go and trusting God for your guide? Drugs, alcohol, language, wanting to be like someone else? Anything to excess will affect you and put a barrier between you and God that becomes harder and harder to break down. Let me challenge you today to examine your life closely and be honest with what you find.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

Ministries for the Young Aren't Necessarily the Best

2011-08-29T23:23:00.002-04:00

Trends in churches sometime bother me. As a traditional musician, I was dragged kicking and screaming into the Christian contemporary music era over a decade ago. We should only sing hymns, prayer responses and only use piano and organ in our services…just like Peter and John did in the first century. If the King James Version was good enough for Paul, it should be good enough for us all….especially the Scofield Reference KJV Bible. However, now that I am firmly ensconced into the modern day, I am moved by many of the contemporary songs of praise and worship just as I am by the great hymns of faith. Keyboards, guitars, drums, saxophones, and more can lend a worshipful atmosphere to a song like no other instruments (if used with sensitivity and a worship style). Personally, I may still prefer the more ‘high church liturgical style,’ but can worship God in any style in which I find myself. Seriously.

I recently read a book entitled, “Who Stole My Church” that pointed out the problem with the current trends toward children and student ministries in worship and in general ministry, that the older generations were feeling left out, without purpose and wondering who stole their church. The church that had grown up with and supported all their lives was now changed to something they no longer recognized, all without their knowledge or input. Great book which emphasizes the value of communication, prayer and degrees of Christian compromise.

Statistics are often quoted that if you have not accepted Christ by the time you are, say 18 years old, then the likelihood is unlikely you ever will. So, we work harder to reach the younger groups. But, what about the older ones? Many churches put so much emphasis on reaching the young ages that reaching the older people falls by the wayside. The error of this thought became very clear to me this past Sunday.
My mom’s church is quite small and the majority of members are senior adults. This is somewhat prohibitive to a lot of physical outreach ministry, but they set a remarkable standard for their community Vacation Bible School and their support for local and foreign mission efforts. The fellowship is warm and welcoming to guests; loving and caring to their own people. In my opinion, this is a true church….unlike any I know of. A friend of the Pastor was living in the Atlanta area for a period of time, visited the church and was immediately drawn into the fellowship with no drama or pressure to “become a member.” He was fairly open that his background in churches and religion was not pleasant, but it did not prohibit him from taking part and helping anywhere and everywhere he was needed. And the church just loved on him.

As time came, he returned to his home in Canada to the sadness of the church, but they have kept in touch with him and have now welcomed his daughter as a member. The marvelous thing is that he came back this past weekend to pack up furniture to take back to Canada and scheduled his trip just so he could attend church. Why? Because he had given his heart to Jesus and wanted to be baptized in this church that had loved him, loved his family and shown him through word and actions that religion is not a scary thing, but something good. True. Kind. Loving. Warm. So, at the end of the morning worship, Pastor Elmer Goble baptized his friend, Pete Desrochers, into the fellowship of believers known as Bouldercrest Baptist Church. A church of older folks, reaching out to older folks, loving older folks, baptizing older folks and living out the Great Commission every day. Even though Pete lives thousands of miles away from his church, he leaves to drive home with Christ in his heart and a small church here in Georgia praying him on his way.

I ask all of you to pray that Pete can find a fellowship of believers near him in Canada to nurture and disciple him. In love. God’s love.

So, church, don’t make it all about the young people. There are many more Petes out there in our communities who need to know the Lord and experience the fellowship of His people.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy

Shut UP! (oops)

2011-08-23T19:30:00.003-04:00

Even if you know my family, you still can’t fully understand the quirky, odd way we sometimes roll. We didn’t just play the ‘Name the State license plates game’ while traveling, it was part of our required answer to give the capital, state bird, flower and (for extra credit) the state slogan. As some of you know, my family’s recently submitted a paper plate festooned with bitten off pretzels forming letters to say “We love pretzels” to ABC’s Good Morning America for their Saturday morning ‘Week in Three Words’ segment. Yes, it aired and I currently have the original We Love Pretzels plate available on eBay. So, it isn’t totally unusual that we began a new challenge this past weekend. However, it is a bit more serious and challenging. It involves three scriptures that tell us as a family (and we as a culture) how to live…in the gospel according to Jimmy. Please read the verses below as you follow along.

One is James 4:11 and the key words are “bad mouth” (MSG), “speak against one another” (NASB), speak evil about or accuse another (AMP), “say cruel things” (CEV) and “slander” (NIV). Our challenge is how long can we go without speaking any word of criticism toward another?

The next verse is found in Romans 12:1 and the key phrases include “don’t jump all over them when they say or do something you don’t agree with” (MSG), “don’t criticize his opinions or pass judgment…or perplex him with discussion” (AMP) and “or judge his disputable manner” (NIV). What can we do to keep our home/job/city/county/country a place of no harshness?

Finally, Romans 14:19 contains “use all of our energy” (MSG), “definitely aim for” (AMP) and “make every effort” (NIV). Can we determine to build up and not to tear down?

Basically, this week was declared a “No Harshness” zone in the Cochran household. We are trying to not criticize, argue or tear down others (politicians included) and a special effort is being made to adhere to the rules. So far…not so great. I am learning to just not speak and stay away from everyone else. Mom is just trying to be nice and use a kind tone when she gets a bit harsh as if we won’t notice. As for David, well, he just growls at us both and says this is stupid. Such is my world. But, in all seriousness, I can begin to tell a difference as we do the best we can. I have learned to think two or three times before I might say something about another person or situation. Not only do the words not come out, but I am finding myself a little less stressed and angry. More on the plus side of my life simplification project.

Think how this would project could impact everyone around us and, in turn, our world. No rampant criticism of others; family, friends, neighbors and politicians. No arguing with others which often leads to anger, potential harm to relationships and to sinful behavior. And can we be encouragers instead of destroyers…or just learn to keep our mouths shut? It all goes back to what we heard as children, “If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all.”

As my family continues this interesting project in our lives this week, let me encourage you to read the above verses and see how you can seriously apply them to your lives. Please, don’t just read all this and not seriously consider it. We can make a difference….if we just take it in small steps….tiny baby steps.

And for today my friends, this is the gospel according to Jimmy.

My Dad

2011-08-22T12:31:00.001-04:00

“…and God Himself will live with them, and they will be His people. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorry or crying or pain. All these things are GONE forever.” (Revelation 21:3-4)

The promises of God. We all have our favorites and the ones we claim the most. You can buy little books that list the promises. We have bookmarks, wall plaques, highlighted text, email signatures and so on that give us a sense of calm that we know God is in control and watching over us. The above verse isn’t one that I used to think about very much when in discussions about God’s promises to me. But, it is now. Very personally.

This week marks the five-year anniversary of my Dad’s homegoing. People knew him as Bo Cochran, but I know him as Dad, Daddy, Papa and Paw-Daddy (long weird story). Like many fathers and sons, we tussled at times because we are both strong-willed and hard-headed people, but I never doubted his love for me. It was shown by his actions much stronger than any words. Coming home from work and finding a floodlight installed, pulling in the driveway to see my yard cut and trimmed, an occasional paying for my dinner out with the parents, “I think that song you played for the offering today is one of my favorites,” hiring me to work at his company during the summers of high school and introducing me as ‘his boy,’ and so on. Once I wrote an opinion column in the newspaper about him and how much I did love him and he got all weird and mushy-voiced when I asked him if he read it. In Bo-language that was a “yes, I read it and I love you, too.” That was my relationship with my Dad.

I remember him spending hours in the front yard while I tried learning to ride a bicycle. He nailed the first roller skates to a plank for me to use as a skateboard. He brought home a go-cart from work that totally ruined the grass in his backyard…but he never cared. We kids never dared to enter the church sanctuary without waiting on him at the little table in the back hallway. When I joined the church and was too afraid to step out into the aisle, I felt his (extremely) firm hand guiding me from the back until my legs started to work on their own. My dad was always there if I needed him for a push, or a kick.

I don’t think he minded that I became a musician instead of a professional baseball player. He wasn’t particularly pleased when I put away the Butch Wax and let my hair grow long like the Beatles, but he let me….sorta. He didn’t care that I never learned how to change the oil in my car. It didn’t seem to bother him that I was did not have the woodwork and carpentry skills he did. Looking back now, I realize that he was just glad I was me. I think he knew that I was who God made me and it did not good to try and force me into other skills….mainly polishing my shoes. That just never seemed a big deal to me.

So, as I think back on my Dad this week and my life with and without his physical presence in my life, I am glad to claim the promise that he is no longer sick, no longer in any pain, no longer frustrated with his illnesses….those are GONE forever. It is a promise from God that I am glad for and look forward to someday. I hope you can claim this promise yourself.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

Sometime it's just a shoebox of cow mess

2011-08-16T19:56:00.000-04:00

I was sitting in my college Astronomy class one day when my good friend, Louise, came racing into the room all a-giggle with a package that had just come in the mail. “Lookie here!” she squeaked as she careened wildly into the seat next to me. “This is from home and it has got to be some homemade cookies. Let’s eat!” Bear in mind that class had already begun, we were sitting on the front row, and the teacher was glaring at us (as if we cared). Tearing into the brown paper, Louise was going for the box o’treats like a cheetah goes for a young goat. All of a sudden, we realized that a most pungent odor was arising from the shoebox….and it wasn’t chocolate chip cookies from home. As other students around us began to smell the same odor, Lou flung the lid from the box and we both saw the contents. Cow patties. Yep, a box full of mushy, still slightly warm cow droppings. Racing from the room to discard the box, the sounds of Louise reverberated from the classroom. “Those rats! I’m going to kill them all!” Yes, she (and ultimately the whole class and I) were the recipients of a good ole’ college prank.

Sometimes life treats us like that. Opportunities come along that look great and brilliant and we go for them with gusto, only to end up in a pile of mess. Literally and figuratively. In looking back at my illustrious college career and coming forward to my adult years, I thought I’d share some of these for your amusement and, hopefully, to help others steer clear of the shoebox.

My goals heading into college were simple. I was going to major in Medical Research, pledge a fraternity, study hard, behave myself and graduate into making mega-bucks. By the end of my first semester, the medical degree had gone by the wayside, I was my dream fraternity with mixed results (more on that another time…just saying you need to be careful there…), and the studying and behaving were a matter of opinion. By the time I graduated with a B.S in Education (which ruled out the mega-bucks), I was a very happy guy who had made it through with decent grades and the best friends I could ever imagine. There were times of slipping away from God (again, supposedly ‘good’ fraternities aren’t always ‘good’), but He was faithful to bring me back to Him through the support and encouragement of said friends and other Christian organizations (thank you Gamma Chi Phi).

The same rules have applied in my adult life. Things change with or without my permission. One day you have the perfect job, the next day you don’t. One day your boss is a prize, the next day they are a demon from the lowest depths. One day your loved one is an angel, the next day they are a ghoul from the pit of Hades. One day you have a few dollars in a savings account, the next day you are juggling the cable bill or JCPenney. One day God is your closest companion, the next day you don’t feel His presence anywhere around. It just happens. We cannot always be in control of our situations and live in sunshine on the mountaintop singing “Kum Ba Ya.” Valleys and canyons come. Friendships change, people aren’t who you thought they were, and on it goes. It is what it is. But, through it all, God is in control. As a familiar scripture says, “For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation.” (Psalm 100:5). I have opened enough shoeboxes of mess to know that God has been faithful to me and I know that He will be faithful to you, my friends. That is the only thing of which we can be certain in these days.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

Clowns in prison

2011-08-07T20:22:00.003-04:00

I have learned a few valuable lessons in life; don’t try to teach pigs to dance, don’t spit into the wind, don’t mess with any women’s missionary organizations, and…..don’t ever go into a men’s prison as a clown. Especially when you are wearing turquoise capri pants, red and white striped knee socks, a bright blue wig, and long blue glittery eyelashes

When I was in college and new in the ministry, I heard a sermon based upon St. Paul’s teaching that we should “become all things to all people so that by some means some might learn of Jesus.” At the time I was studying to enter the church recreation ministry which was in the days before Upward programs and almost no church gyms or ball fields around metro Atlanta. Our challenge as Christian recreation ministers was to come up with ways to meet the leisure time needs of people both within and outside the church. In the first church where I served, we put a huge emphasis on the community and providing programs for them whether or not they ever attended an “official” Sunday service. Our sole aim was to love the neighborhood and teach them that God loves them, too. And, it worked.

Well, at some point in this, I was asked to help with a worship service at the Federal Penitentiary in Atlanta. So, I threw my guitar in the back of the car, met several other guys at McDonalds and planned it all out. It was without a doubt one of the most meaningful times of my life. Meeting the inmates who wanted to come (and were brave enough to come), hearing them share of their lives and walk with God under these dire circumstances, seeing a small stained glass window in the chapel with prison bars behind, all showed me that this is what the church should be doing in today’s world.

Shifting forward a number of years, I underwent training into the world of official Christian Clown Ministry in Nashville where I learned all the techniques of make-up, illusions, costumes, and how to fit 28 of us into a tiny car. My thinking was it would help me in my quest to become “all things to all people” and provide many avenues for sharing God. It did. Our merry little Christian Clown troupe went to nursing homes, hospitals, children’s hospitals on Christmas Eve, and, yes, to several women’s prisons around the metro Atlanta area. We even traveled to St. Simons, New York City, and Washington D.C. to spread our little red balloons of God’s Love to people and hand out cups of water in Christ’s name.

Then, one day I remembered the days of my Federal Prison services and wondered how the men would react to a clown worship program. So, I contacted a local county prison and asked if we could do a program for the men. They agreed, however, none of our women clowns were allowed and that left me (capri pants and glittery eyelashes) and the other man clown…..a 75 year-old-cowboy clown who was always up for adventure without realizing what he was asking for. Without going into a lot of details in print, we were well received by the prisoners, but not for the reason we were there. There is a possibility that someone heard the story of God, but it might have been during my prayers to please get home safely with my blue eyelashes and clown virtue intact.

Where is all this leading? There are many opportunities around to be a witness and become “all things to all people.” Naturally, you can be a witness in your home, in your jobs and in your schools. But, more than that, be a witness by volunteering to work in a local ‘feed the hungry’ program, with your church children sports programs, with one of the county food and clothing banks, send prayer cards to those you know in special need, help out anywhere you are and wherever you go. Encourage someone you come across who needs a bit of help, call a senior adult in your neighborhood and see if you can pick up something at the store for them, anything. Do it in the name of Christ. Just go share your God wherever you can…..just be careful of the wigs and eyelashes you wear.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

Finding Christ at college

2011-08-07T20:21:00.001-04:00

When we last saw our poor, beleaguered, spiritually tortured Jimmy, he was on a college campus far away from home and trying to rediscover himself and his relationship with God.

After a few weeks of struggling with being away home and family, church and friends, I finally made up my mind to transfer to a college back in the Atlanta area. God was not at Georgia Southern, or at least I was having a hard time finding Him. Bear in mind that I had never had spiritual problems before because I had been tucked away in my comfortable suburban life surrounded by Christian family and friends. I always considered myself as having a strong faith and belief system; however it just didn’t seem to be working out so great now.

I prayed about it and felt sure it is what God wanted me to do. I began getting catalogs from other schools (this was in the day before internets and online searches) and made my decisions…now, it was just time to tell my parents. I headed home for the weekend, hooked up with friends, had a great Sunday at church seeing everybody again then sprung the news on my family over Sunday dinner. That I was planning to go back, pack everything up and move back home for good. Simple. Except…my folks didn’t buy it. They knew there was more to it than I admitted and kept encouraging me to ‘fess up. Finally, after many tears (on both sides) I told all. My folks asked that I go back and try a new beginning to see how things went. To try and find some Christian friends and plug in somewhere. To try and go to church there.

I reluctantly agreed while knowing that it wouldn’t work and I’d still be packing up at the end of the quarter. I honestly prayed all the way back and was feeling better when I finally arrived on campus and tried to open my dorm room door. The key didn’t work. Try again. Still no work. I think I muttered one of my new words when a voice came from behind me asking if I needed some help. A guy was standing there that I had seen around the dorm as a resident assistant which meant he was at least a sophomore….and scary. “Yep,” I admitted hesitantly and stepped aside. The guy wiggled the key just right and the door popped open. He helped me get my bags inside and noticed a Bible lying on my desk.

Him: “So, is that your Bible?” Me: “Yep, it is.” Him: “So, are you a Christian?” Me: “Yep, I am.” Him: “That’s great to hear. We have a dorm Bible Study in my room on Tuesday nights and also hang out a lot at the Baptist Student Union (now Baptist Campus Ministry), eat meals together and do a lot of us. You should come hang out with us.”

Wow! That was a God-wink that came like a slap upside my head. I agreed to come that week and, well, my life has not been the same. I found friends like I had never known before. Through the next four years, I found opportunities for ministry and personal growth like I had never imagined. I was encouraged, strengthened, laughed, cried and somehow managed to eventually graduate college despite these great new (rowdy and crazy) Christian friends and being so involved in Christ’s work not only on campus, but everywhere we traveled.

Things were not all roses from that night on, but I had rediscovered Christ at a time when I needed Him the most. More college adventures will be coming in weeks to come, but I wanted to share with a few good friends who will be leaving soon to begin their college experience for the first time, or for another year. Hang tough to Christ, folks. He IS faithful. He IS concerned about what you face. He WILL give you power to overcome….if you keep your eyes on Him. But, like I said earlier, don’t beat yourself up if you stumble, and you will, because that’s just the way the world operates. I wouldn’t trade going to a public, secular school for anything in the world because I got a good preparation for dealing with the world after graduation. I received the strength needed to deal.

Praying for all of you constantly. And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

The College Years Begin

2011-07-31T23:58:00.002-04:00

After several tumultuous years of high school leading up to my senior year and the ‘borrowing’ of a school bus with some classmates for a McDonald’s run instead of the cafeteria lunch, I was looking forward to college and the hopes of a new beginning. College was to be a new adventure, far away from home (I went to Georgia Southern) and only one other person on campus knew me so I figured I could be who I wanted to be. I didn’t want to bust loose and go wild crazy banshee on campus, but it seemed to be an opportunity to begin developing who I thought Jimmy should be. However, when I got busted on the very FIRST day for being in a girl’s dorm after hours (who knew that was not permitted) I was thoroughly humiliated and thought I better be more careful in the Jimmy creation process.

I was a Christian, had been in a great church youth group and felt extremely confident that my faith and belief in GOD would hold me strong through all temptations and diversions that life on the outside of family and friends could offer. So, by the end of my second quarter; I had smoked my first cigarette, learned how much I should not ever drink again and had learned to hold my own in a cussing contest. Yeah, that was a good fraternity to pledge. No, I’m not proud and at the time I offered the excuse to myself (and GOD) that I just wanted friends and, after all, I was of legal age now. Vietnam was in full swing and I was number 142 on the draft lottery….so how did I know I would even be here by the summer. I just wanted to discover myself and make my own decisions. Looking back now, I realize I was probably testing GOD to see how far He would let me go. Well, He let me go as far as I wanted to go and then some.

My rationalization was partly that my first roommate turned out to be quite the heathen and was very vocal in abuse when I would read the Bible or try to do anything of a spiritual nature. Somehow one evening, it turned into a confrontation between me, Rick and several others when they accused me (as a Gentile) of killing Jesus (the Jew). They were drunk as coots; I was not. It was turning into a physical thing very quickly, so I finally went and hid out in my car until it seemed safe to go back into the dorm.

Going away to college was a time of change. Those first weeks and months shook my faith severely. I thought I was a strong Christian, but I had never come up against the true strength of the world. Any time we enter a period of change, be it going away to school, starting a new job, illness, moving to a new neighborhood, marriage, divorce, whatever, we have a chance to prove to ourselves how we handle change and new beginnings. From my experience, it is easy to say how strong we are in our GOD and nothing will come against us, however, that is easier said than done. As the verse below says, we should trust in GOD (totally) so that He can direct your walk and don’t be impressed with our own wisdom ‘cause that’s where you get into the trouble.

Do I have regrets? Honestly, I don’t. All the temptations I faced and either lost to or won over have made me who I am today. I still face temptations and struggle with overcoming them, but I do so much easier now because of many years of learning to trust in GOD.

So, to those students heading to college in a few weeks, I want you to know that I’m praying for you. Trust GOD. Stay close to Him. But, most importantly, don’t beat yourself up when you fall. It will happen, but our GOD is faithful to forgive us, so we must do the same. Just enjoy the ride of college. Too soon you’ll be graduating and entering the real world. That’s not so cool. To others who are entering new phases of life, I pray for you also. And for the same reasons.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take. Don’t be impressed with your own wisdom. Instead, fear the Lord and turn away from evil.” (Proverbs 3:5-7 NLT)

I Didn't Want To Go To Church Today

2011-07-24T21:30:00.001-04:00

“And I am certain that God, who began the good work in you, will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day Christ Jesus returns.” (Philippians 1:6 NLT)

I didn’t want to go to church this morning. Yeah, I’m probably the only one brave (or stupid) enough to actually admit it, but I know that there are others out there. Knowing that members of my church, and other churches where I’ve been are probably reading this, I hope this doesn’t destroy your image of the spiritual, holy, consecrated Jimmy. Sorry, but today I would have been much more interested in heading to IHOP or Denny’s with coffee and a good book.

The tough thing about being a musician or any other staff person for a church is that you have to be there at o’dark thirty in the morning on Sunday and be all smiley, happy clappy and spiritually “on.” Every. Single. Sunday. Plus, my fingers are old and don’t work so well at first light. Much less the hand-eye-finger coordination needed to play keyboard while it’s still dark outside and the woodland creatures are just beginning to stir. Get the drift? Fifty weeks out of the year, it’s no problem and I’m up, playing and worshiping with all sincerity and genuine closeness to God. Today. Not. So. Much.

It wasn’t so much that I didn’t want to worship and be with fellow believers, that’s truthfully the highlight of my week. I can’t put a finger on it; I just didn’t care about going today. The problem I have with myfeeling and sharing this goes back to the fact that I worry about you judging me. I see so many posts on Facebook and other mediums that indicate that you are so happy in the Lord 24/7/365, quoting your verses and sharing your daily devotion writers, giving the impression that your life is so wonderful….well, that just makes me feel cruddy when a day like today comes and I just don’t want to go. Because you always want to go to church and can’t understand why people like memight not want to go on any given Sunday. I worry about this because I never see the human side of you. I would like to not care, but I do.

However, I finally did have church. About 12 noon. In my car on the way home. Just me and Jesus. And it was good. I reflected on our services and recalled the five new members of our faith family that were baptized. The stirring music, the inspiring and on-point message, the friendliness of the fellowship, praying for a team heading to Zimbabwe this week for Kingdom work. I heard about several community ministries going on in the area. It was a good morning….just not (for me) until noon.

What am I learning from this day in my faith journey? For one thing, that church can happen in a small congregation of twenty people, in a large congregation of a thousand or driving alone in your car as you fly down Hwy. 138 steering with one hand as you raise the other one in praise (along with your Dr. Pepper). Plus, God doesn’t really care about me not wanting to go this one morning, as long as I acknowledge his Presence in my life and do the best I can with what I have been given. And, as long as I don’t forsake the community of believers all together. Finally, from a personal standpoint, may I never write (or post) anything that causes someone else to feel inadequate about their walk with God. May I always be transparent, especially if it causes you to think seriously about how your journey is going. And to encourage you a little.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

The War of the Cardinals

2011-07-17T23:27:00.004-04:00

“Don’t worry about anything, instead pray about everything.” (Philippians 4:6 NLT)

The war between the Cardinals and the Red Wing Blackbirds are starting up in my back yard. It seems the Carolina Chickadees are on the side of the Cardinals while the Finches are remaining neutral. Yep, I’m watching the daily antics of the privet birds from my perch in my home office window as they do battle over the various feeders hanging from the deck. The privet that grows between our backyard and Camp Creek is the home to, seemingly, hundreds of birds and other creatures of the wild.

The Cardinals have come to live in the privet in vast numbers this summer. I can look out the back windows and see flashes of the bright red males and paler brown-red females. They will come to the feeders, feasting alongside all the other species on their favorite sunflower seeds. They all behave and get along with each other in privet-world. However, this season the newest generation of Red Wing Blackbirds are swooping into the backyard, flower beds, trees, and yes…even into the trees and bushes of privet-world. When they flew into the area, the sun was darkened and the sky looked as if it were alive in motion. Long hidden fears from the movie, “The Birds,” arose to the surface as I first saw them coming. The ground was quickly covered as these blackbirds with the red slash on their wings descended and spotted the feeders hanging around the decks.

Attacking all the other birds, they took over the seeds and drove the cardinals, finches, and wrens, buntings and even the thrashers back into their privet haven. When other birds attempt to come back, the “not wanting to share” birds will chase them away. Wishing that the privet-world birds could arm themselves to defend their food supplies, I watch this daily drama of the bigger and bolder mean birds terrorizing the pretty little nice songbirds. If only the killer hummingbird from last year was still around this summer to take on the blackbird army. That would be a battle worth watching and I’m sure that the privet-world birds would be clapping their wings in joy.

As I watch, I think about the redwing blackbirds in my life. Not meaning the physical birds smirking on the feeders outside my window, but the things that cause me to want to go to the safety of a privet-world. The situations that I allow to steal my joy and suck all the pleasure out of the day are just as dominating and ruthless as those birds that overtake the source of food and pleasure from other birds.

My biggest Blackbird is worry. I can work up a good worry party before you know it. Money, health (mine and that of family and friends), jobs, stress, car troubles, crime; these are the major ones in my worry box. However, I can throw a worry party about things that are absolutely ridiculous. Usually I worry about things that will be worrying me next. I’m retired and trying to make ends meet with only my retirement check and a part-time job, so you can imagine who the guest of honor is these days at my parties. I worry about (in general) what is going to happen tomorrow. I can even work up a good worry about you and what’s going on in your life. As I allow worry to run rampant in my spirit, I am also allowing it to steal my joy – the joy of everyday living, but most importantly, the Joy of my salvation. What are we told in the scriptures? “Don’t worry about anything, instead, pray about everything.” “Give Him all your worries because He cares for you.” “When you walk through the fires, you will not be burned because I am the Lord your God.” Plus, that whole passage about sparrows and lilies not toiling and spinning, yet God takes care of them. Yeah, I know all that, but I still struggle.

All these and more can bring my mind and heart back to the reality that God is in control of my life…. not me. I can’t hire myself, I can’t defeat crime (shocked?), I can’t guarantee good health, I can’t be assured of money in the bank, and on and on and on. Did you notice the keyword in the above sentences was I? That’s what God wants me to remember. I can’t do anything. God is in control…in His time, not mine. I just have to be faithful and not sin by worrying because that's like telling God you just don’t trust Him enough. Now, what are your blackbirds? Intolerance (yeah, I’ve got that one), temptations of the world (again, got it), impatience with others (sigh), and on and on it goes.

Just as the blackbirds steal the food source from all the other birds, we all have those things that cause us to lose our food source with God. Trust God and come out of privet-world to claim victory against the invaders in your own life. You don’t want to make me have to worry about you, too, do you?

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

Of Guilt and Grace

2011-07-14T22:09:00.001-04:00

All signs pointed to the kid being guilty. Witnesses, evidence, prior behavior. The kid didn’t think he had done it, but wasn’t sure because he had been under the influence at the time. A confession was finally coerced through intimidation, but there was one man who didn’t accept it. He stood with the kid against everyone else. He stood with the kid through intimidation, jeers, threats and ridicule, but finally proved him innocent. The man was Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs of N.C.I.S. Once again, Gibbs followed stood firm for his charge and prevailed against all the worldly influence against him. Gibbs served as a mediator between the kid and the evil Director Vance.

If my life were on the television screen, it would certainly be an entertaining show (except for me). Lying to parents, ‘absconding’ with a school bus in the 11th grade for a joy ride to McDonalds with some buddies during the school day, questioned by police at 2 a.m. about why a few of us were rolling a soft drink machine through the streets of Decatur, picking up a hitchhiker (the last one ever) who held a knife on me as I drove him into the wilds of Bulloch County while my roommate in the backseat tried to spray him in the eyes with Fix-A-Flat, running over Seth McKay’s bare foot with a Ford Explorer (not a good result)….and on and on and on. I want even go into the adventures with Gabe Walker and the rest of the gang.

My point is, looking back at my life; I’ve made, and continue to make, lots of mistakes. And I’ve had to reap the consequences of them. Some painfully physical, some painfully financial, some painfully humiliating. I have been remarkably lucky to not have ended up in court on several occasions, but if I had, hopefully I would have found a good lawyer to mediate for me.

I could have probably made more appropriate choices in my life and not gotten in so much trouble. However, I have no choice about whether I sin or not. That is a guaranteed action in all of our lives. “For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). If I had to stand before God and be held accountable for my, oh so many, sins….I would have no hope. No excuse. No chance of getting out of it. Nada. However, because of God’s Love for us, he sent Jesus Christ to be our mediator. That is, to stand between my pitiful self and almighty God and plead my case….not for innocence, but for forgiveness and a cleansing of the slate. That’s the Grace you hear about so much. Do I deserve it? Heck, no! Do you? Heck, no! But, God does it out of love.

On this day, think about the fact that Jesus is constantly standing up for us before God. “You know that Jimmy, Father? Well, he is quite a sinner, but he believes in us, in me, and in the fact that I died for Him. So, we’ll erase these last things from his record and it’ll be like he never did them.” Be sure to thank Jesus today for standing up for us and for the forgiveness we receive.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

What's Wrong With My Junk?

2011-07-10T21:45:00.000-04:00

There is an old saying that “one person’s junk is another one’s treasure.” After a recent yard sale and seeing what people were buying from my household rejects, I can see that this must be a true statement. I mean, these were the things from the back of closet shelves, tops of cabinets and shelves, old dirty and worn tools and yard machines, coffee mugs and shot glasses from every casino and tacky tourist town in the country and linen patterns that went out of style in the early 1970s when I was in college. People bought food processors without any blades and tacky silk flower arrangements that should have been thrown away as soon as they were made. They were lining up to buy this stuff…. and actually paying me money. It still astounds me.
Seven hours later, the dregs of the junk were left. The clutter that even the most ardent and die-hard yard sale customer would not buy…not for a dollar…. or marked down to fifty cents…. not when moved to the quarter table…. and they even received a grimace when I offered them for free. As I loaded the trunk of my car with these items to take to a local charitable outlet, I thought over the day and the items that sold and those that did not. Obviously, in this case my junk was also someone else’s junk, too.
There are days that I wake up and realize that I don’t spring out of bed as quickly as I did ten years ago. If I were to spring like that now, my knees and hips would rebel and I would end up in some pretzel-ized position on the floor that would be difficult to explain to the EMT staff when they arrived. I find myself making the “grandfather sounds” when I try to stand up from the sofa or recliner. You know, that kind of groaning “Oy” sound that involuntarily comes from deep within. The aging process is beginning to take it’s ugly toll on me and I am beginning to feel a little junkish myself at times.
Being a single guy is cool when you are in your twenties and even thirties. You can still stay up until the wee hours, maintain brain functions and be productive the next day. You can still get by with driving the cool cars without being accused of having a mid-life crisis. Then come the forties and fifties and suddenly the single guys are often discussed over the Sunday dinner table like we are afflicted with some dreadful condition. Like the dregs of society that no one has wanted; the things left on the quarter table after a yard sale; the unspoken questions of “what do you think is wrong with him?” “Do you think he snorts when he laughs or something?” “Poor guy.” And then the dreaded comment from anyone southern…”Bless his heart.”
Where I am heading with all this is the point that in God’s eyes there are no dregs or leftover junk. It doesn’t matter whether we are skinny or overweight, tall or short, married or single. He doesn’t care about our ethnic background, rich or poor, balding or like Rapunzel in the tower. We are all equal in God’s creation and even though we may disappoint Him when we do not live as He asks, that does not change His love toward us.
So, take joy in your diversity and your eccentricities. You are part of God’s world and he will never love you any less. That’s why God never has a yard sale; He loves everything He has. And for that, I am eternally grateful.
And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

I Gotta Be Me...and not you!

2011-07-10T21:36:00.001-04:00

“O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.” (Psalms 139:1-4)

Welcome back to another round of my musings and journeys. After the season of Lent and not facing a daily deadline of having to put experiences into words and send them out, I felt the great need to escape from the stare of my blank laptop screen. That taunting screen. It was enjoyable to not have to think so much about what I could share with you and to concentrate on reading and writing for fun. However, after a few weeks, I began to notice something disturbing. The things I learned during my 40-day walk were beginning to fade away and the joy I experienced during those days leading to Easter began to wane (see, I do know some literate words after all). The accountability you gave me was missing from my daily life. The anticipation of what words would come out of my heart and fingers was missing. In short, I missed you and was missing God. If you missed the Lent journals, please catch them on my website www.beinggods.blogspot.com.
Now, we travel on. Part of my nature is to be very hard on myself. My therapist has told me that I have a hard time living up to my own expectations of myself and that leads to, well, quite a muddle at times. This even flows over to my Christian walk. I see Christians who seem so “comfortably Christian” and have it all together with Jesus, and then I look inside myself and feel all doubtful and not so together with Jesus and not like “them,” so that the aforementioned muddle begins. I consider myself a very practical Christian. Love. God. Love. Others. Love. Family. Love. Neighbors. I feel fairly intelligent in theological realms; after all I do have a Master’s in All Things Theological for pity’s sake (giggle). But, I feel so led to be a friend to those around me in the world and community first, saving the Jesus talk for after the relationship is built, that I feel inadequate against so many of the hard-hitting go-getters in the Christian world. I get down. Low. Down. Discouraged.
And then, tonight, God decided to speak to me. You know, He must surely get tired of trying to teach me the same old things over and over, but God is faithful and is very patient with dolts like me. Hmmm, a good book title….Dolts Like Me. But, I digress. The Monday Night Supper Club was meeting for a BBQ supper at Shane’s Rib Shack and I got there a bit early. As I waited for the others, I saw an old friend from years gone by enter the restaurant. It’s always good to see Mike because he’s probably one of the coolest men I know and his testimony is mega-encouraging. Mike struggled with tough choices as a teenager and young man and then found out he had cancer at the age of 26. Thanks to God and the skills of the medical community, Mike is now cured and has found Jesus in a real and personal way. His eyes are bright, his smile is infectious, he still has all his hair (which irks me), and is just a guy that makes you feel good when you are around him. And that’s a good thing. That’s how I want to be, God….like Mike (except for the cancer and bad choices part). Why can’t I have a cool testimony about your work in my life? Later, God brought the above verse to mind and I remembered that He made me just as I am….bruises and all. I can’t be the Super-Christian that Mr. Evangelism Pastor is because that isn’t how God made me. I share God in my way, in my time, in my style and that’s all God expects. Mike shares a fantastic testimony from his experiences just as I share God through mine and you do in yours.
I guess my thoughts tonight would be to not try and be what you think a Christian should be. Be the Christian you simply are. That’s what God wants. You. Simply You.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.
www.beinggods.blogspot.com

Resurrection Sunday

2011-06-30T17:15:00.002-04:00

“The Lord is risen, He is risen, indeed!” (Luke 24:34)

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Teaching them to observe all the things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20)

Sunday has dawned. The rock is rolled away. The tomb is empty. Jesus is gone. The power of God has defeated the final power – the power of death and the grave. From this day on, the world will never again be the same. A new meaning of the word faith is entering the vocabulary of the disciples and followers of Jesus….they, and those to follow for generations to come, will now believe through faith and not through sight. In a short period of time, Jesus will return to His heavenly home to be with His Father and those of us here in 2011, must now trust and believe not in having Jesus physically with us, but in our hearts through the Holy Spirit and through the evidence we have of His continued existence.
Christ is risen! I told my family today that one of my favorite Easter memories is of the community Sunrise services we had at my home church (Bouldercrest Baptist) and the Cedar Grove Methodist Minister, Reverend Martha Forrest, would begin with the bold and confident statement – “The Lord is risen, He is risen, indeed!” Her voice would ring through the sanctuary and cause me to believe once again that the Lord is now risen and alive in our lives.
Christ is risen! His last instructions will come to us in the verse above which we call The Great Commission. It is our responsibility, our obligation, our job to make sure that our neighborhoods, communities, country and world knows of Jesus. Folks, it isn’t a suggestion to us, it is a commandment. We are to go, to train up disciples (followers) of Jesus and teach them of the ways of God and how they should live.
Christ is risen! Christians all over the world are celebrating today over this fact. But, what happens tomorrow? Do we go back to our normal lives, eating leftover easter eggs and jellybeans, ham, potato salad and put the ‘nice’ clothes back into the closet? Do we continue to remember the story of Jesus and the wonders, tragedies and miracles of the past season? Or do we just put it aside for another year (or at least until Christmas when many head back to church again).
As for me, I have changed so much during my journey through the Lenten season. As I’ve said before, I never anticipated the results in my life when I began this way back on Ash Wednesday 40 days ago. The process of writing each day has opened my eyes to many changes that needed to happen and I thank God for that and for giving me the strength to do so. I’ve also received many positive comments from you, my friends, that continue to bless me more than you’ll know. You see, I don’t see myself as a particularly good writer; I just put down what’s in my mind and heart. It’s my therapy. But, if folks are touched by something I say or write, then to God goes all the Glory. He is the one who does it through me.
So, my friends, I am kinda sad for the ending of this period of journaling, but I also know it is not an end of my journey and I hope that it isn’t the end of yours. I am looking forward to the coming days and weeks with expectation and excitement to see what God continues to do in my life and in yours. Please let me know, I’d love to share in your walk! Continue to study God’s word, follow His instructions, and above all….LOVE!
Thank you all for sharing these days with me. Please remember that these are my thoughts and subject to your opinion, as they are mine. And, as I always sign off in my blog and other writings, and for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

Thanks be to God!

Holy Week - Day 7 (Saturday)

2011-06-30T17:15:00.001-04:00

“And the women who had come with Him from Galilee followed after and they observed the tomb and how His body was laid. Then they returned and prepared spices and fragrant oils. And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment.” (Luke 23:55-56)

Saturday. The Sabbath. A day of rest. And the whole world is holding its breath from the events of the past week. The one who claimed to be the Son of God, who taught about God and His LOVE for all people, who healed and performed miracles was dead. Jesus, the carpenter from Nazareth, the son of Mary and Joseph was dead. The one who was the advocate for children, for sinners, and the downtrodden, the one who dared to stand up to the Pharisees was dead. And by a cruel, inhumane, torturous means….crucifixion. Beaten, humiliated, spat upon, and killed. Buried.
Depending upon which ‘creed’ you might go for, during this day in the tomb Jesus either descended into Hell where he preached to the saints from the Old Testament days….or, he was simply dead. For my personal theology, I go for the second. I think that for the importance of the miracle about to take place, I need to believe that for these days, Jesus was dead. Giving the disciples and followers a chance to think upon what had happened. Was it all a mistake or a dream? A time to ponder all the teachings of Jesus during the three years they were together. A time to wonder what they had gotten themselves into. Just because Jesus was dead did not get them off the hook for being followers and associates. They were afraid of the Pharisees and religious leaders coming after them, so what did they do? They hid. Wouldn’t you? I feel pretty sure I would be behind locked doors and under my sofa. Quivering with fear.
These days also gave those who put Jesus to death a chance to (possibly) gloat a bit. A chance to catch their breath and look forward to getting “their” religion back to normal and under their control. A chance to try and forget this man and the trouble he had caused them for the past few years. A chance to just start to feel pretty smug before, well, before tomorrow morning comes.
But, most importantly to me, all the key players observed the Sabbath. Whether in grief or in joy, the Sabbath was observed. Can you imagine the silence of Jerusalem and surrounding areas on that Saturday? The quiet glances during their synagogue services. The whispers on the street. The talk around the dinner table? That feeling you have when something has gone so very wrong, but you don’t know what to do because you can’t really believe it happened? The silence and the heaviness that clouded the Holy City after the death of Jesus. The Law that commanded observance of the Sabbath was being obeyed because, well, it was the Law. Not realizing that all these Laws were about to be burst wide open and would never ever be the same. But, for today, silence. Remembering.
It’s so important for all of us to remember that Good Friday and Easter are not just dates on a calendar with a seemingly non-important Saturday in the middle. Don’t go back to business and fun as usual today after remembering the events of Thursday and Friday. Sure, Sunday is coming, but this day is a day to reflect and ponder and examine ourselves. A day of silence and rest.

Thanks be to God.

Holy Week - Day 6 (Tenebrae Friday)

2011-06-30T17:14:00.000-04:00

“And Pilate asked Jesus, ‘Are you the King of the Jews?’ And He answered by saying, ‘You have said so.’…..but after this, Jesus answered no more questions so that even Pilate was amazed.“ (Mark 15:2, 5)

Friday has come. After the Passover meal last night, the plans unfolded for the death of Jesus. He and a few disciples went to the Garden of Gethsemane for prayer and while there, Judas brought the officials to arrest Jesus. In the early morning hours, as the disciples and other followers tried to see what was happening, Simon Peter found himself denying (even with a curse) that he had no idea who this man was that was being held. Trials began to be held during the day in front of various officials, all of which ended with Pilate turning Jesus over for death by crucifixion. He was abused, tortured and humiliated for hours, finally breathing His last breath in the mid-afternoon of Friday. Today. After Jesus’ death, Joseph of Arimathea asked for the body to be buried in his own family tomb. Joseph was a supposedly member of the elite Sanhedrin and also possibly a secret follower of Jesus. The reason is not important, but here is a leading member of the Jewish legal system burying the body of this criminal of the Jews in his own tomb.
So many of the events this day are important, but none so important as the fact that Jesus was killed in order that my sins might be forgiven by God and provide an eternal life for me. I like the definition of ‘sin’ as given in the book of James….’knowing what is right to do, and not doing it, that is sin.’ (James 4:17)
And not only was Jesus killed, but God allowed it to happen because it was part of His plan for me and for you. Again, God allowed His only Son to be killed as part of His plan. Can you imagine more LOVE? That is beyond any of our human capabilities. Plus, Jesus accepted it. He didn’t go kicking and screaming to the cross of death, He went obediently, with acceptance of His Father’s plan and of His role in that plan. Yes, as Jesus, God the Son, He could have called down legions of angels to stop this. He could have caused anything to happen so that He wouldn’t have to die. When Pilate asked Him about the claim to be King of the Jews, Jesus could have shouted out the answer, “YES!” and claimed His rightful Kingdom, but He merely turned the answer back to Pilate by answering “you are the one saying so.”
As I think about this sacrifice of our Lord today, I try to keep the squizillions of people in the past and in the future out of my thoughts. I am trying to stay focused on the fact that this act of greatest LOVE was done for me. Just me. With all my faults, failures, quirks and problems. He died for ME. And….for YOU. Do we deserve it? No way. We just need to accept it.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable GIFT!

Holy Week - Day 5 (Maundy Thursday)

2011-06-30T17:13:00.001-04:00

And Jesus said…”Take this and eat it because this is my body…..take this and each of you drink from it for this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and His people.” (Matthew 26:26-27)

On Thursday, the final actions began for Jesus’ death. The Passover meal was served by Jesus to His disciples, Judas completed his act of betrayal in leading the Pharisees and other religious leaders to the Mount of Olives so Jesus could be arrested, Jesus prayed for His Father’s will to be done and the disciples could not stay awake. This evening’s Passover meal is what we now, in the Christian church, know as Holy Communion or the Lord’s Supper. On the front of many altar tables is inscribed, “This Do In Remembrance Of Me,” which is to remind us of the last meal shared between Jesus and His group of ragtag men who would be responsible for spreading the message of God, Jesus and their LOVE for all people to future generations.
I’ve been fortunate to experience Holy Communion in many different settings. From mainline Baptist/Protestant where plates of crackers and grape juice is passed down the rows by deacons; somewhat more casual settings where a chunk of bread is passed around where folks tear off a piece and then drink from a common cup/mug/glass; and in more liturgical settings where the congregants are served by a minister or priest, you have the choice of intinction, using real wine and blessed wafers, and kneeling at the altar to receive. They are all symbolic of this last meal regardless of the method, the music played or who officiates… in jeans, in a suit or in robes.
What do we do in remembrance of Jesus? Stop for awhile on this day, Maundy Thursday, to think of this. Do we remember Jesus in our family’s daily routines? Do we remember Jesus while we are on our jobs? When the good times are happening? When the stress and heartache hits? When we are church (you may be surprised at the number of folks who honestly don’t think about Jesus while they are in church….scary, huh?)? Do we remember Jesus as we drive along the highways, in the books and magazines we read, in the movies and television shows we watch? In the language we use?
Jesus is about to give His life for me. For you. For our family, friends and neighbors. Do we stay aware of this? Do we do anything in remembrance of Him? At times like this, I feel so inadequate because I know that I do not remember Jesus in my “all things.” And I feel so sad that I have to admit this. I mean, here I sit in a nice home writing all these words each day, and I have yet to live up to my own writings. And for some reason, I feel tears welling up. However, I think this is why God led me on this Lenten journey….to make me more aware of where I am and where I should be. Looking inside myself, putting my thoughts and discoveries into words, sending them out to all of you who may read these, and hold me accountable. Because I know now that you are watching me and I appreciate it. From your comments, emails and conversations. It has been a good journey, I’ve learned much, but I also realize how far I have to go.
I have prayed for you folks every day since Ash Wednesday and will continue to long after the end of this journal in a few short days. I pray that you will remember Jesus in all you do, as I will be praying the same for me.

“Take this bread, take this cup, and remember Me. Show your Remembrance by your actions and your LOVE.”

Holy Week - Day 4

2011-06-30T17:12:00.002-04:00

“And the disciples were indignant when they saw what had happened. ‘What a waste,’ they said. ‘This could have been sold for a high price and the money given to the poor.’ (Matthew 26:8)

On Tuesday evening/Wednesday morning of this Holy Week, Jesus experienced a gift of LOVE. He was once again staying in Bethany and you know the story of how a woman (generally believed to be Mary of Bethany) came in and broke open an alabaster jar of humongously expensive perfume and poured it on Jesus’ head and feet, then wiped them with her own hair. The disciples were absolutely flabbergasted and furious that she had wasted such an expensive item that could have been sold and helped out the poor. How sweet of them. Based on some of the past history around the disciples, I wonder how much they actually were thinking of the poor and how much they were considering their own Disciple Treasury Box. In fact, Judas, as treasurer, was one of the more vocal objectors.
Jesus answered their ranting with the calm answer that ‘…the poor will always be here, but I won’t be here much longer. This lady has come and given a gift that is preparing me for my burial…’ Again, an offering, a task, a contribution given out of pure, true, no-strings-attached LOVE.
Every church has them. Complainers. Those who find fault in what is being done….regardless. Those people who just don’t get the point of a ministry of LOVE. Such is the case above. Complaining followers of Jesus. Complaining followers of Jesus about a church staff member. Complainers can’t see the ministry opportunities because of their focus on money and themselves. It doesn’t matter what is being done to honor Jesus, they know of a better way to do it. We’ve never done things like THAT before. From my own experience in ministry, both as clergy and as a lay-worker, nothing can hinder and harm a church more than the complainers. Because, usually the complainers go hand in hand with the…..gossipers (gasp!). Oh yes, I said it.
And yeah, I’ve done my fair share of church complaining in years past, but thank goodness, I was convicted of this fault years ago, corrected this serious sin and learned to trust my church leaders to do God’s leading for the church. If they are not following God’s leading, then that is their responsibility and they will be accountable; but as a Christian, I have learned that my role is to support and encourage my leaders and not complain or gossip, especially if I have not spoken to those for whom I might have concerns.
This day, when the disciples continued to struggle with each other during the most critical week of their lives, I pray that we will all stop and think about the greater good of our ministry. Going back to earlier weeks…. examine your own heart for sin, watch your tongue and do all you can to keep yourself, your church leaders and your church from being harmed and to work together in unity to share God’s message. In LOVE.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable GIFT!

Holy Week - Day 3

2011-06-30T17:12:00.001-04:00

“And Jesus replied, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire Law and demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.’ “ (Matthew 22:37-40)

This is it, folks. The summation of Jesus…LOVE. Here is a reason behind His statement of ‘not coming to destroy the Law, but to fulfill it.’ During the Tuesday of His last week, Jesus spent time teaching anyone who would listen and continued to challenge the Pharisees and other religious leaders at every opportunity. He worked so hard to make them think about their Laws and the futility of strict obedience and that only through belief in Jesus and God, in the greatest sacrifice about to be made in only a few days, would they be able to enter Heaven. An eternal life of being in God’s presence in the Home being prepared. I’m sure the urgency of Jesus’ teachings wasn’t fully understood by even His disciples. He had already begun to prepare them for His death, and His resurrection, but they just had not caught on yet. They hadn’t even caught onto the whole concept of God’s Love, at least not yet.
We are taught in the Old Testament that the greatest law was to ‘love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.’ This is the Shema, the highest Law for the Jewish people. Jesus has now added a second ‘most important’ commandment; ‘to love your neighbor as you love yourself.’
Who is your neighbor? The person living next door to you or across the street? True, but your neighbor is, literally, all those who live on the earth with you. Therefore, we should love all people as we love ourselves. As I sat on the podium at church this past Sunday and looked over the congregation, I was struck to realize (again) what a diverse church I am attending. And, how proud I am. The verse about the gospel being spread to ‘every nation, every tribe, every tongue’ came to mind as I looked at how many cultures and ethnic groups are represented in our sanctuary on any given Sunday. Well, even more importantly, all these groups are represented each day of the week through our work in the community, state, nation and world. I think that this is what Jesus is trying to teach us. If we truly love our neighbors, then they are welcomed into our churches – NOT because we are of different cultures, but welcomed BECAUSE we are all neighbors and children of God. In my thinking, the church today must welcome diversity if they are going to do God’s work. Diversity in people, in preaching, in music, in staffing, in programs and ministries, in outreach, in mission work, in all areas of the church. Again, I think this is what Jesus would want us to draw from the above verse.
On this third day of the Holiest Week, I am examining my thoughts and actions toward all those around me….my neighbors…..God’s children. I would encourage you to do the same, if you agree. Just saying….my opinion and thoughts. If I am able to do even a part of what I have been writing about these past 40 days, may this be the one I embrace the hardest. It’s too important.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable GIFT!

Holy Week - Day 2

2011-06-30T17:11:00.002-04:00

“Draw near to God, and God will draw near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. “ (James 4:8)

After Jesus’ highly visible entrance into Jerusalem on Sunday, he eventually returned to Bethany where He spent the night again with His friends – Lazarus, Martha and Mary. On Monday, He returned to the City where He found people doing business in and around the Temple; not the normal type of business that was common for the times and area, but businesses of cheating people, unfair prices, enormous interest rates and all matter of unlawful and unethical activities. The anger that Jesus felt was immediate and was unleashed upon these people by turning over their tables, letting animals loose and driving them out of the Temple. This was the Temple of God. To the Jewish people, God actually inhabited the Temple. Their most Holy Place had been defiled. And it had been allowed to happen by the Pharisees. They gave their permission by turning their eyes in another direction and ‘ignoring’ what was happening. The Temple. God’s House.
We are told in Hebrews that our bodies (and minds) are the Temple of God. Have we allowed these Temples to become defiled and filled with wrong and inappropriate things? I struggle constantly with keeping my Temple a fit place for God to inhabit. Things I watch on television, people I have hung out with and the conversations we have had, jokes we have told. Letting my anger gain control at times….and not always the “scripturally approved” type of anger. My attitudes toward people that don’t reflect that they are also children of God. And…I’m not even going to start on the whole healthy lifestyle and exercise aspect of keeping this old, aching Temple more physically fit.
During these weeks, I have worked very hard on some of these problems….not all, not at this time….you know, little steps for little feet. I can only accomplish things if I take them step by step and rejoice in the smallest of victories. But, my Temple still has clutter and dirt in the courtyards.
Just as Jesus cleaned out the Temple on Monday of His last week, I will be making a conscious effort on this Monday…some 2,000 years later to clean out my Temple for God. Letting the Light shine into the dark corners and examining myself closely for continued ways to purify my life. I ask for your prayers in this. I get so discouraged at times because I see many Christians who seem to have such mighty clean Temples in their lives and I feel that I have so far to go. Maybe I tend to be too honest at times, but that is what God is calling me to during this Lenten season. Sometimes I think it would have been a heck of a lot easier just to give up chocolate.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable GIFT!

Holy Week - Day 1

2011-06-30T17:11:00.001-04:00

“Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion! Shout, Daughter of Jerusalem!
See, your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation,
Gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)

So, here we are. The final week. Forty days ago, I began a journey through the season of Lent for the purpose of drawing closer to Christ. To God. To myself. The trip did not take the directions I anticipated, not that I had major expectations, but I did not expect to end up leaving a job. I did not expect God to lead me to a church as a musician again. I did not expect a lot of the changes in my attitude that have occurred (all for the better). And, I did not expect to be able to cover this many days of writing and sharing with whoever may be reading these. I hope and pray that maybe something I have shared has touched your heart, made you laugh or at least made you think about your own relationship with Christ. This time next week, the final victorious entry will be written. Maybe, after that I will keep doing some writing like this for my cyber-world friends….that would depend on what you want. So, let me know.
Anyway, the prophet Zechariah told us that the King, the Messiah, the Promised One would come into Jerusalem riding on a donkey. In that day, kings always rode in some type of wheeled vehicle, but this King came in the humblest form possible….on a donkey. Jesus had spent Saturday night in Bethany with his dear friends Lazarus, Mary and Martha, as he would be spending the nights during this coming week. His disciples had been given instructions to go find the donkey and all was set for Sunday’s triumphant entry into Jerusalem. The King is finally arriving.
From Bethany, Jesus would have ridden over the Mount of Olives where He would have a fantastic view of Jerusalem and the gleaming gold of the Temple. Crossing over the Kidron Valley on the Xystus Bridge, Jesus would enter the city through the Golden Gate (Susa Gate) which leads into the city directly at the Temple. We know from the Scriptures that crowds, hundreds of people, lined the road waving the palm fronds expected for royalty and shouting out, “Hosanna! Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” Jesus was riding into Jerusalem both as a King, as royalty, as well as proclaiming his humanity and humility by riding on a donkey. No doubt, many people were honestly shouting in joy and anticipation of the coming Messiah; others merely got caught up in the excitement.
How about us? Do we talk about God-things, wear a cross around our neck, stick a fish on our bumper or talk about praying because we really mean to celebrate our Lord? Or, because it is a ‘cool’ thing to do? I see teenagers and young adults coming into the library everyday with huge crosses and rosaries around their necks, but some of them do not exhibit the behavior behind the symbols they are wearing. Am I judging them? Nope, just commenting that their behavior and/or language are not appropriate according to the Scriptures, as I understand them.
Are we coming into Holy Week crying out “Hosanna” because we believe in the one who comes in the name of the LORD….or because Easter is a cool time of year…and if we only go to church once a year, then Easter is a pretty good time. Kinda like hedging your bets, huh? But, God knows our hearts. He knows our intents. He knows whom we worship.
Don’t let your praises today turn into the jeers later in the week when the going gets tough.

Blessed is He who comes in the name of the LORD!

Lent - Day 39

2011-06-30T17:09:00.000-04:00

“As Jesus and his disciples approached Jerusalem, they came to the town of Bethphage on the Mount of Olives and Jesus sent two of them ahead.” (Matthew 21:1)

Time to get serious. The final week is coming, commonly known as “Holy Week.” The week that sums up the past 33 years of Jesus’ life. Why He came. Why He lived. Why He taught. And ultimately, why He died.
Jesus knew that many events must come to pass this coming week and many of them would be a result of His actions. He knew there must be a donkey for His entry into Jerusalem. He knew He would need to continue to anger the religious leaders by cleansing the Temple and teaching there. He knew where things were headed, and being the Son of God…being God himself….He could have stopped them at any point, but He didn’t.
During my career at Georgia State University, there were a number of occasions where I had to make decisions and put into action events that would make a negative impact on people, including myself. Sometimes it was a termination, other times it was a negative evaluation, at times it was a restructuring and transferring staff into positions they would not be happy with, but it all had to be done for the greater good. Plus, I had a boss telling me to do these things. However, there were times, when I could have stopped some actions by acting out of my own selfish wants, instead of what was needed to be done. I certainly do not mean to put my own experiences on the level as Jesus’ decisions during His last week, but I just am trying to get a grasp on the strength of His spirit to allow events to roll on as they did. No human I know has that strength. We are born with a spirit of self-preservation that kicks in when we are threatened and only a few people, mostly military, have an ability to make an ultimate sacrifice. Even then, it doesn’t begin to compare.
Please think about Jesus on this day before He rides into Jerusalem. The Holy City. The beginning of the end, but also a new beginning. Betrayal. Hurt. Denial. Death. Think of the absolute and pure LOVE that Jesus had for you and for me to start this week in motion. LOVE. Beyond compare. Beyond what words can express. The true LOVE of God.

SOLI DEO GLORIA!

Lent - Day 38

2011-06-30T17:08:00.001-04:00

“And Jesus said, ‘Let the children come to me and don’t stop them. For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children.’ ” (Matthew 19:14)

One of my favorite evenings at the library is when I work in the children’s room. I’ve enjoyed working with kid’s since I was just out of college and working part-time in a church kindergarten program and full-time in the church recreation ministry. Not being a parent, it’s fun and enjoyable to me because I can play with them, spoil them and then send them home with their parents. It’s neat to get on their level and have a good conversation about stuff and nonsense, but to also draw them into a more serious conversation, too. To treat them as people and not just little weebles or something. But, there is something endearing about looking up and just seeing a head of hair and eyes peeping over the counter at you, and asking where the latest “Fancy Nancy” or “Junie B. Jones” books are.
As Jesus began His journey toward Jerusalem for the Passover, he spent this weekend teaching and telling parables to everyone he encountered. At one point, a group of parents brought their children for a blessing, and, being kids, they were probably laughing and playing, so the disciples tried to stop them from getting too close to Jesus. When He saw this, he scolded His disciples with the quote used in the scripture for today. What did Jesus mean about Heaven belonging to childlike people?
Children are so believing…that’s part of their charm. They’ll believe almost anything you tell them. Believe it with all their hearts. I’ve been guilty in years past of the old “mixing butter and salt makes heat” story, and kids (and teenagers and adults) will usually just fall for the story….until the finale’. Jesus is making the point that unless you can come to Him and believe with the same strength and purity of a child, then you have not fully caught on to the whole salvation point. We have to believe totally, with all our hearts, soul, mind and strength. Let it permeate your whole being. Let it consume you. Fully trusting. Fully believing. Just like a kid and not like the typical cynical “show me” adults of the world.
Are you trusting like a child? Or do you hold a wee bit of ‘yourself’ in reserve in case it gets too hard? As I approach Jesus’ approach to Jerusalem and His triumphant entry on Sunday, I pray that I can have that simple faith-belief like a child.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable GIFT!

Lent - Day 37

2011-06-30T17:06:00.001-04:00

Once upon a time there was a young boy, a junior in high school, who felt a call of God on his life. At the time, he was sitting in a circle with a group of friends from church on the top of a mountain in northeast Alabama where they had enjoyed a day of worship, sharing and fellowship. At first, he didn’t quite understand the feelings or the changes it would cause in coming years, but the boy simply said, “Sure, God.”
As years passed, and the boy grew to be a man, he tried to be what he thought God wanted for him. He entered the ministry, served in local churches and (possibly, hopefully) made a difference in the lives of a few people. Along the way, he seemed to continually be just short of the calling on his life. Just not quite there. Just beyond the grasp of his hand. “Something seems to be a little out of kilter, Lord,” he would cry and pray. “I’m serving you, trying to do Your Work, but something is just not right.”
For many years, the man was active in his church, serving as a Deacon, a Sunday School Teacher, a musician, a student chaperone and so many other areas….however, just when “things” began to settle into a comfortable place, the unsettled feelings would come. Anxiety. Searching. Wanting, feeling, needing something more.
And then one day the man realized that the answers had been right under his nose all the time. God gave him gifts. Music. Piano. Keyboards. Guitar. Leading worship. And, no pride intended, but the ability to do these well. Also, a gift for writing and expressing to others the simple truths that God loves them and has plans for our lives. That God is there in the tiny details of our life, just as in the big and major events. However, once again, other influences came into his life and clouded over these simple gifts that the man needed….needed so desperately… to use for his ministry. The love of service through music, and through writing, became harmed because they were not being used for God’s Glory, but for man’s….and for the man, himself.
During the past 36 days, I (yeah, you knew I was talking ‘bout me, didn’t you?) have rediscovered so many things about myself, my walk and my ministry for God. I’ve made changes in my life to get back to what I need to be doing. And today, for the first time in a long time, I can honestly say I am happy and full of God’s joy. I am content in my spirit and my soul. In a way, I’ve come full circle back to that young 17 year old boy who just wanted to serve God and simply answered the call….”Sure, God.” That’s what I’ve said again these past weeks, and then simply stepped back and watched God work. And He Did! Just jumped out at me and said, “Surprise! I’ve been here waiting for you all this time!” For the first time, in a long time, I’m where I need to be, with the people I need to be with, doing what I need to do. And God gets all the glory and the thanks.
That’s where my Lenten journey has led me. And, to be honest, I didn’t expect it. But, wow! God is amazing. Where are you in your journey?

Thanks be to God!

Lent - Day 36

2011-06-30T16:58:00.003-04:00

“The Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control….” (Galatians 5:22-23)

How do non-believers view us? Upon what do they base their opinions of Christians? Do they see the fruit of love, joy, peace, etc.? I find it rather important that when Paul wrote this letter, he mentioned this list as fruit produced…not fruits produced….in that all these as a whole are characteristics of the fruit/attributes we as Christian should show. We can’t pick and choose from the list. And God doesn’t pick and choose which ones we get….we get all….or none.
During this season of self-examination, I am looking at this list and seeing how I stand. I think I’m pretty good on the kindness and goodness, for example, but on the patience and self-control…not so much. What am I withholding from God so that I can’t enjoy the full benefits of what He has promised to me? I’m faithful to my friends and family…but am I always faithful to God? I would tend to think so, but I know that I tend to worry about things and try to offer my suggestions to God about how to deal with certain people and situations, so I’m not being so faithful in those times.
Turning things over to God and letting go of my own manipulations is probably one of my bigger faults. Oh sure, I’ll pray for God’s Will to be done in various situations, but do I really let it go and leave it with Him? Again….not so much at times. As my Plain ancestors have written in journals and Bibles,
“We must learn to let God’s Will be our primary motive. We say we trust God, so, then our word binds us to trust Him to handle our problems. Don’t turn to our own devices and those of other men. God’s way is always best.”
How simple. How assuring. How I wish I could always do that. I’m working on it and I hope you will, also. Pray for your trusting in our sovereign God who can, and will, handle all things…..but, in His Time!

Thanks be to God for his indescribable GIFT!

Lent - Day 36

2011-06-30T16:58:00.002-04:00

Lent - Day 35

2011-06-30T16:58:00.001-04:00

“But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” (Luke 6:27-28)

Do you have a close circle of friends? You know the ones that you can laugh with, cry with, argue with and who know you better than almost anyone else? These are the folks you can just be yourself around and they just sorta understand your craziness? People that you spend a lot of time with and learn and grow with? Have you ever had one of those close friends turn on you?
Jesus had a group that he traveled with, lived with and shared his life. We know them as his disciples. This was the closest group of men imaginable. Even though there were many more people who followed Jesus from village to village, this small group of men were those whom He spent time, day and night, explaining the ways of God and training them to carry the message of God’s love into the world.
Jesus, being God in a human form, knew that one of this close-knit group would one day soon turn against Him and sell him out to the religious leaders. This is the one who would begin the process leading to the death of Jesus. As you read the Bible, do you get any idea that Judas was treated any differently that the others? That Jesus let His knowledge of this traitorous man affect His ministry? Did He ever ask Judas to leave the group? No, you can’t find anything along those lines. Jesus knew this man would turn against Him, yet He loved and treated Judas just like anyone else. This was the height of what we are being told in the scripture about loving your enemies, blessing those who try to do you harm.
Can I do this? Heck, no….or at least not easily. Can you? During these last days of this Lenten season, my goal is to work on becoming more loving toward those who have done me wrong. Those who have hurt me, either intentionally or unintentionally. Those who just don’t like me.
I hope you will think about how you treat those who come against you. Not dwelling on what they did to you, but what you can do for them….not to them. This is the way Jesus wants us to live…and I can promise you (from experience), it has made my life more stress free when I can do this.

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

Lent - Day 34

2011-06-30T16:57:00.001-04:00

“For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober.” (1 Thessalonians 5:2,6)

As we enter into the last weeks of Lent and with the observance of Holy Week coming a few days, I find myself thinking about what Jesus was doing. We know the activities of that last week before His death, but all we know from the scriptures is that Jesus continued teaching, healing and telling others of God’s Love for them. Knowing what faced Him in a couple weeks did not deter Him from the work He was sent here to do and we’ll see that this mission continued up until His final breath on the cross.
I feel fairly certain that a crucifixion does not lie in my future, but death certainly does. The manner of such, I do not know. It waits for all of us. Could be today. Could be tomorrow. Could be years from now. All we do know is that we are not promised another hour or a day, but that we will die in God’s time.
If you are a Christian, have Jesus in your heart, then you’ve got no worries about the whole ‘after death’ thing. You know that you’ll be in a heaven surrounded by not only God, Jesus and all the angelic beings, but all those who have gone before us. Forever. Eternity. Praising God. Singing. If you are not a Christian, then you can also be assured of an eternity of torment and agony. Separation from God. Separation from Love. Darkness. Emptiness.
If Jesus felt the urgency in His last weeks of earthly life to continue reaching out to as many people as He could go to, why do we not have the same urgency to reach our communities and world about their fate? Why do we not have the same urgency to share what we know with those we come in contact with that don’t know God and His love? Jesus faced death, we only face the possibility of rejection and, perhaps, ridicule. So, we stay quiet and just give some money so that others will go and tell. However, I don’t think the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20 gave a select group to commission to go while others stayed home to give money. Jesus told us all “Go, YOU, into all the world…” into the world, your communities, your homes and neighborhoods, and tell others.
I am beginning to feel this urgency. Are you? Can we do any less than to tell? I haven’t said this before, but it certainly is my hope….if anyone who reads these thoughts and ramblings have any questions or concerns, please contact me by return email or Facebook message. I’m praying for all of you today.

Soli Deo Gloria!

Lent - Day 32 and 33

2011-06-30T16:49:00.002-04:00

“I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Psalm 84:10)

I’m home now from a few days in the mountains with much to ponder. One is that I can get out of my comfort bubble fairly easily….after a week with (basically) no cell phone service, random internet access (basically none), no television it was very hard for me to relax to not have all my regular comforts. Then, as we headed down the mountain, when my phone beeped the signal that I had service once again, the sigh of relief from my mouth probably affected the tides of the Atlantic coast. Then, when stopped to buy gas for the trip home, for some reason the auto-stop on the gas pump didn’t work, so the right leg of my jeans, shoe and sock became drenched with gasoline pouring from my overflowing tank. Definitely not a way to get my day off to a good stop.
After a few miles of driving in a closed car, the gas odor was overwhelming, so at our lunch stop, I went into the men’s room, took my sock and shoe off, dunked them in the sink to soak; then doing a high kick to make the Rockettes proud, I got my right leg into the other sink to begin soaking my jeans with water. Of course, about this time, another patron entered the men’s room, took a look and turned around for a quick exit. After soaking and splashing, I managed to drag my leg down, grabbed my soggy Adidas and sock, and sloshed back to our table.
One other thing I discovered about myself this weekend is that God has really worked with me in recent years to get rid of my (once) quite large ego. Now, it’s still a work in progress, but I am coming along with God’s help. I no longer see the ego-driven Minister and then lay leader that I once was. I know now that my way isn’t necessarily the best way. I know that physical materials, money and programs are not necessary to bring folks to Christ. The unsaved are not fooled by the grand trappings of a gorgeous building, they just want to feel welcomed and that they have a place to belong. The people searching for God will form their first opinions by how they are greeted at the door to the church, not the expensive furniture, floral arrangements and highly organized services. They just want someone to speak to them, to feel a part of the service or of a class, and to have someone share Jesus with them. They want to see and feel at home, not like a visitor to a museum or wealthy house where they could never feel comfortable. In my humble opinion, that is the ego of the church.
Like the verse for today says, for me…now…as I continue to grow and learn in Christ…I would rather open the doors of the church to the community, welcome them in and share Jesus with them one on one, than to have the biggest and most impressive house of worship in the land. Because then I wonder what we are worshipping? Not who.
Maybe we all should try to be the doorkeeper for God, literally or figuratively. Be the welcoming Christian to them, make them feel at home with you, open the door to Jesus and meet them where they are. On their level, not the level you want them to see.

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

Lent - Day 31

2011-06-30T16:49:00.001-04:00

“For He makes small the drops of water; they pour down as rain according to the vapor above.” (Job 36:27)

This little verse in the middle of the book of Job has quite an interesting take on God and His attention to details. It tells us that He makes the drops of water small and they pour down as rain from the vapor above the earth. Suppose for a moment, that God didn’t think about making the drops small, but just let one big ole wad of water leaving the clouds and smacking to earth and all the inhabitants. But, no, He created the small drops of rain….probably so that we would survive a Spring rainstorm. And like other verses such as the one about “caring for the birds and the flowers and knowing all the hairs on our head,” shows that God is in the details. He is in all nature. He is a planner. He thought ahead to me …. and you …. and what we will need.

It’s a foggy day up here on top of the world in north Georgia. Well, it’s more likely that the cloud level is low and at ground level, it’s probably sunny and clear. However, the view from the deck this morning is severely limited. Doesn’t matter to me. I can have my coffee and bagel out there and just listen to the silence as well as I can sit out there in the bright sun. But, the amazing thing is the silence. No birds chirping, no rushing of land creatures in the leaves, nothing except a few muffled sounds from people hiking on a nearby trail. I guess it’s a day of rest for them, too. As far as I know, the world is at peace and so am I.

Basically, I’m a beach guy. Love walking alongside the ocean, hearing the surf, the breeze, the gulls, the slight sting of a pink face and back, a good seafood and steak platter, basically all things beach. I haven’t been in a number of years and am feeling the pull back to the water. Not that I don’t love coming to the mountains; their majestic peaks rising to the sky, the views from above, the cool mornings and evenings are great, too.

For my current journey, I definitely needed to get away from the routine. To think. To pray. To enjoy good friends. To rediscover myself. To realize that maybe I had not drifted as far as I thought. It just takes getting away to make you realize that, sometimes. I have needed to simplify my life, have worked on that for the past several months and am being successful. The biggest part of this process is to realize that God is in the details. He is in charge of everything in my life when I allow Him to be. Looking back, He has kept the drops of difficult times small enough to be manageable instead of one huge big ole’ honking calumph landing on my head. And He gave me family and friends to help.

Look for God in the small things…not just the big things. Remember He really does care for you.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable GIFT!

Lent - Day 30

2011-06-30T16:48:00.001-04:00

“For the Lord is good, His lovingkindness is everlasting and His faithfulness to all generations.” (Psalm 100:5)

I’m spending a few days up in the north Georgia mountains with some good friends, just to get away from schools, jobs, traffic, bright lights and the confusion of the everyday world. We’re in a cabin perched high on top of a mountain with a 360-degree view of God’s creation. From our deck, you can see a lake shimmering through the trees, hear and see birds all around that are different from the ones at home and watch the squirrels and chipmunks playing in the leaves and undergrowth. It’s a good thing.
The one thing that has been a source of discontent is that there is no cell service here. Not even one bar. Not a single G (as in 3G or 4G in sight). We’re incommunicado since there are no telephones in the cabin and, certainly, no wireless signals for email or web-surfing. It’s been years since I haven’t been able to pick up my Blackberry and call anywhere I wanted, whenever I wanted, send an email, check on facebook, all those things that I’m realizing make up my day. During the night, I did hear a beep from my phone over on the dresser and almost broke a leg scrambling out of bed to see if a signal had been found. Surprising, a momentary signal must have gotten through because several emails and text messages had uploaded, but this morning…back to nothing except a sporadic beep or click indicating a brief moment of connection. Can’t trust it. Can’t depend on it.
As I was falling asleep last night, one of the last songs I remember playing on my iPod was a contemporary ballad version of “Great is Thy Faithfulness.” I realized that it is a wonderful thing that God is the epitome of faithfulness. His presence is with me, everywhere, everyday, no interruptions in service and no problems in connecting (except on my end). I think that at this point in my Lenten journey, I needed to realize that. A lot of changes have occurred in the last 30 days. And. For. This. Time. I needed to be reminded that God is always faithful to His promises to me. When Lent ends and I finish up with this trip, I want these changes to be permanent. I want to stay receptive to God and his workings in my life as I have become.
You have held me accountable….not necessarily by words, but by the fact that I am writing every day. And some of you have commented if I have said or done things opposite of what I have written….for example, during a fierce game of “Mexican Train” (dominoes) last night, I got a bit carried away with my verbal use. Of course, it was close to 1 a.m., and I’m not at my best after 10 p.m., but, one of my friends reminded me of a previous day’s journal. I apologized to them, felt terribly guilty, apologized to the Lord and now apologize to you. Oh, I don’t mean I let loose a string of profanity, that’s not it…just made a few inappropriate comments for a Christian (in my thoughts).
So for today, know that God is faithful to you. Always. Forever. He is always on your side.

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

Lent - Day 29

2011-06-30T16:47:00.002-04:00

”Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful, may the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave, lead them to believe,
and the lives we live inspire them to obey.
Oh, may all who come behind us find us faithful.”(Steve Green)

I found a box today full of old pictures from church friends and family. This was the church where I grew up as a young boy, left for a season, then returned after college to serve in many capacities. Most importantly, I served as a Christian. I grew as a Christian. I grew as a musician. I grew as a man of God. For the next 30 years, this was my home, both spiritually and physically. Since 1965, whenever I have the occasion to drive by there, I still feel the same joy and pride and say in my heart, “Hey, that’s my church!”
It has never been a huge church in numbers, but is the largest church imaginable in their heart for a community, for each other and for world missions. There is a special bond that has bonded us together; those who remain and those who are now elsewhere. Age has never mattered, all generations gathered under the roof and on the property to worship and fellowship.
Looking through all these pictures, and posting several on Facebook, has caused a lot of laughter and a continued relationship for so many of us. We’ve traveled on mission trips to New York, Washington, DC and St. Simons Island. We’ve participated in sports, nursing home and prison ministry, choirs, dramas, Vacation Bible Schools and so much more. This church was a true neighborhood church for so many years, and even when a number have moved from the ‘hood, this church still believes in the community surrounding and does what needs to be done to minister there.
I can’t begin to count the number of people who came to be called to the mission field, various ministries and other areas of Christian service. And so are now spread out in churches in the southern crescent of Atlanta in their own churches…spreading the Word. Serving God.
In looking at some of my leadership in these pictures; student work, choirs, mission trips and the building of an activities building, I can only hope that the generation that I helped to raise find me faithful to God’s work. I hope they find me faithful to the church and to God’s people. I feel very strongly that nothing I have said or done has deterred them from God’s way for their lives.
I am so richly blessed by this church and these people. I don’t know many people outside of this fellowship who can still, 40 years later in my case, enjoy each other’s company, laugh together, cry together and be a part of each other’s lives. If you don’t have this, I am sorry and urge you to work toward this. Find the church where you are not only blessed, but can also be a blessing to others. Pray that those you lead will find you faithful and that your legacy is one of God.
My heart will always belong to Bouldercrest Baptist Church. A beautiful building, a beautiful landscape, and a beautiful people.

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

Lent - Day 28

2011-06-30T16:47:00.001-04:00

“Little is much when God is in it, labor not for wealth or fame;
There’s a crown and you can win it, if you go in Jesus’ name.” (Gospel song – Brock/Suffield)

I’m borrowing today’s thoughts from my book (“Being God’s,” J. Cochran, XLibris Publishing, 2007). It seems to still be relevant to my journey during this season.

Do you ever wonder what good you are possibly doing for the Kingdom of God? After all, your day is full of work, school, car pools, soccer, baseball, church, homework, taking care of children or aging parents, trying to have some type of social life, etc. So, then you fall into bed at the end of the day and (hopefully) at least say a prayer and read a scripture at some point, but, you are dead tired and wonder what difference you have made in someone's life for God today?

My dog, Murphy, taught me the other day that even a little bit done can make a difference. My grass is brown. Brown all over. Dead looking brown. A field of dead hay would look as good as my front yard. Crayola doesn't even make a crayon color with this same ugly shade of brown. Get the point? When I was walking Murphy one afternoon I noticed that there were all these little holes about an inch or so in diameter all over the front yard. While I wondered what in the world (or what alien being) inhabited my yard, I happened to notice Murphy walking across the yard to do what, well, to do what dogs do when they are outside. At least what they do after they sniff every available leaf, cigarette butt, wet paper and dead bug.

Anyway, I noticed that his feet were making these little holes as he walked across the barren dead yard. If you know me much at all, you know how even a shiny object can fascinate me for hours, so I started to look down into these holes to see what was in there. You know what I saw? I saw more dead grass. But, deeper down in there I saw little blades of green new life. The grass was growing!! It was just covered up with old stuff and Murphy was uncovering it! Over the next day or two, I noticed that where all these little Murphy footprints were, that the new grass was growing quicker and higher than anywhere else in the yard. Of course, it looks rather strange now to have all these little pockets of green in the midst of the brown, but they are there. They just had a little help from my terrier.

Now, where I'm going with this? Murphy was just going about his normal daily routine, doing what dogs do. His feet are little and hardly make a dent, but it was enough to open up a small space to let the sunlight in and start new growth.

We are the same way. If we go about our daily lives, doing what we normally do at work, school, home, wherever we are, AND if we do it as we live Christ's example here on earth...we make that little dent in someone's life, let some of God's light in and allow new life to begin to grow. We don't have to teach Sunday School, sing in the choir, lead a missions group, or any other church "things" to do the Kingdom work. We just have to live, as Christ wants us to live, meet people where they are, and make that little dent in their lives.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable GIFT!

Lent - Day 27

2011-06-30T16:46:00.000-04:00

“Count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” (James 1:2-3)

The first thought in my mind was “Dear God, why have you led me to this place?!” This question came after a brief moment when I realized I was lying in a part-time buffalo field, covered with buffalo poop (and that of various other animals), muddy and a scraped body from being dragged across said field by a 300-pound Dutchess County, NY fireman. No, this wasn’t a bad dream or drug-induced hallucination; it was a part of being on the glamorous mission field. I had led a group of teenagers and adults to the hamlet of Stormville, NY for a week of cooperation with the Stormville Baptist Church in doing day camps, community outreach and construction. We thought (should have thought twice) about challenging the local fire department to a ‘fun’ game of Pillow Polo to bring the entire small town together for games and a cookout as a ministry of the church.
Now, Pillow Polo sounds like a fun little game in the game catalog, but in reality is a game from the depths of hell. It is played like polo (minus the horses… or buffalo), with the sticks wrapped on the end with a nerf substance. These sticks are used to whack a ball down the field into a soccer-type goal. Yeah, fun. Except that the nerf-like substance wasn’t like real nerf, it was just a step softer than PVC pipe in a bright color. Plus, when turned loose into the hands of children, teenagers and adults, the overwhelming desire to whack someone upside the head becomes too strong to resist.
So, on the fateful evening of the ‘mission challenge,’ the huge, burly, donut-full, yankee, fireman tromped onto the field and proceeded to destroy us by whatever means necessary. Of course, telling them were a nice little church from a very southern Georgia, probably didn’t help our case at all. The official town field and gathering place was part of the buffalo range which gave the ‘pride of New York’ all the more incentive for chaos. So, when you are lying face down in a pile of buffalo droppings, it’s difficult to remember your objective is to share Jesus.
Do you ever get dragged through the mess as part of your daily life? Do you ever get mired down in the gunk of the world, so that you forget that we are to be the Light? We are to make a difference? I am supposed to be joyful in all things and give thanks? For the buffalo mess, Yankee firemen, and “all in fun” humiliation in front of our mission field?
All in all, we had a fun evening and the church began to make an impact on the small town. I wasn’t the only one smothered and covered, but we were able to laugh about it (at least after we got showers and clean clothes). But, I did learn that how we manage ourselves when undergoing trials and tribulations make a big difference in our witness. When you find yourself in a difficult time where your patience is being tried, just remember that you could be a nice younger student pastor covered with buffalo poop.

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

Lent - Day 25 and 26

2011-06-30T16:43:00.001-04:00

“This is my Father’s world, and to my listening ears
All nature sings, and round me rings the music of the spheres.
This is my Father’s world: I rest me in the thought of rocks and trees,
Of skies and seas; His hand the wonders wrought.” Hymn (Babcock/Sheppard)

Isn’t the Spring a beautiful time of year? From where I sit, I can see the trees beginning to green, the perennials beginning to come out of the ground, the spring birds are migrating back and coming to the feeders (even the hummingbirds have made a couple brief appearances), the wisteria and dogwoods along Camp Creek highlight the running water with bright colors and the sky is just that pretty shade of blue that makes you feel glad to be outdoors.
A time of renewal, a time of life, a time of new beginnings. I’ve already spent some time lately in dividing and replanting various plants, moving a few things around at the edge of the woods, pruning and trimming shrubs and raking out old pine straw to put in new. Then, we’d go around and clear little spots in the straw for the new hostas, iris’ and other ‘things with shoots’ to have plenty of space to grow up into the sun.
Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Christ from the tomb of death. Even the Son of God had to die for a period of time and leave the world in darkness and without hope. It was the winter of the world. However, on the third day after his death and burial, Christ arose from the grave. From death. From the darkness. And he came back to our world to prove, once and for all, that God was supreme and that His power could defeat even the final struggle. Death.
As you see the colors and new plants of Spring beginning to show their faces, as you see the trees fill out with bright leaves and the birds beginning to come back to feed, just remember the new beginning that Christ gave us. Created for us. Out of Love. And He did it for me. And you. And everyone who has ever been and who will ever be. Out of Love. Love.

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

Lent - Day 24

2011-06-30T16:39:00.001-04:00

”Go into the whole world; teaching, training, baptizing others in My Name….”
(Matthew 28:19)

When I was just a wee little boy, nursery age, my mom went home one Sunday and left me at church. My dad was not very active in church at that time and sometimes he just kept me at home while my mom went and other weeks I’d go to church with her. That particular week, Mom thought I was home, so she just headed there. Once she got home, she and my Dad exchanged greetings, she changed clothes and began to fix lunch. Somewhere in the process, I believe, she asked if I was taking a nap and how I was. My dad just replied, “I don’t know. He went to church with you.” Needless to say, lunch was left half prepared while the big old 1950’s Chevy with fins went flying down the road and found me and the nursery worker toddling around the church grounds picking up flowers and rocks and sticks. The wonderful nursery worker, Mrs. Ivey, told Mom that she knew someone would be back eventually and she wasn’t worried.
I think that day must have imprinted something on my mind that makes me feel compelled to be involved with all things church related. From music programs to mission activities to students to recreation to discipleship classes to choir tours, retreats and mission trips to just hanging out around the buildings….I’ve always loved to just be around God’s people and being in His house.
God’s people are where we find the most joy in good times and the most support in times of difficulty. This is where we feel the strength of prayers being offered up for us and for a place we can share in the strong bond that only God can knit. I cannot imagine how people who do not have God in their lives can survive in this world without the support of God’s people. How can they know the richness of life that can be theirs without the presence of the Spirit of God in their hearts. The comfort. The peace. The joy.
But, how active are we in sharing with those outside the fellowship? You may be reading this and not have a relationship with God, or did at one time and turned away for some reason. I know the arguments…”the church is full of hypocrites.” “I don’t like all the no’s that Christianity has.” “I went to church a few times and nobody spoke to me.” And on and on…and they are valid reasons. But, I’ll address those in another day. But, for now, just know that God does love you and does have a plan for your life. Regardless. He loves you regardless of whether you love Him or not. He loves you regardless of what you say about Him. He loves you.
So, for today, church…do what you have to do in your heart so that you enjoy God’s people and being in God’s house. That way you’ll be ready to share with those around you about their own need for God.

Thanks be to God for His undescribable GIFT!

Lent - Day 23

2011-06-30T16:38:00.000-04:00

”Let us search and examine our ways, and turn back to the Lord.” (Lamentations 3:40)

The main purpose of my yearly observance of the Lenten season is the verse for today. In all honesty, and despite my best attempts, my spiritual life becomes a bit muddled and smudgy over a year’s time. Will you be honest enough to admit that, too? It would sure help me to know that some of you that I look at and see a life of holiness and spirituality all the time also falter along the way. At least occasionally. Once in awhile? I am not meaning that neither you nor I turn away from God and begin living a depraved life, but that sometimes we just aren’t quite in sync with God the way we want to be. Or should be. Or need to be.
As I’ve mentioned before, when I worked for a local newspaper, there were quite a few times where I would find myself at events, meetings, etc. where I would start to think, “What in the world am I doing here with these people?” “I don’t belong here.” “What does God think about all this?” The process of gathering and reporting news can quite easily jade oneself into feeling that all politicians are corrupt and self-serving – not true! That most non-profits are mishandling funds – not true! That people are just out for themselves and will throw you under the bus if given half a chance – sometimes true (but not always)! I’d find myself accepting the behavior, language, habits, conversations, jokes, and so on of the people I was around. This, my friends, was a dangerous thing for me. It was affecting my thoughts, my attitudes, my witness, my spiritual walk, all of me. And, after a season, I began to notice the change less and less.
During the season of Lent, is where I have always focused on getting myself back in line with my God. Jehovah. Father. I try to honestly examine areas of my life and attempt to purge the unclean elements and purify what remains. During this particular season, I have made major unexpected changes, but God’s timing is always right….even when it seems odd to me. And I’m coming Home – meaning back to a place where God and I can connect easily. A place where I can laugh all the way from my toes and feel pure joy. Joy that comes from God. A place where I can relax, exhale and feel…well, feel good. Home.
Now, I challenge you to begin to examine your ways. Are there places, people and attitudes that you need to leave behind so that you can come Home? Are there unhealthy relationships that you should turn from as they can strongly affect your healthy relationship with God? I can promise you one thing. It’s not easy to do, but if you go with God’s strength and determination, you can make the changes and begin to refocus your life. To breathe freely again. To feel the joy again. Kick your shoes off and just relax again?
Isn’t it time for you to come Home?

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

Lent - Day 22

2011-06-30T16:37:00.001-04:00

“And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.” (Romans 8:28)

I make no claim to be a biblical scholar. When in seminary, I suffered through various Old and New Testament classes, Exegesis, Apologetics, Paul’s life and so on and so on. Possibly one of the more popular, most-quoted verses is above and many people use it daily as they claim this promise. When I choose a new Bible translation, this is one of the verses I always look at to see how it is worded. That is one reason I prefer to not use the NIV Bible. The word together is not in there. Doesn’t change the meaning of the scriptural thought, it’s just a personal thing. I just like to have that word together in there. God takes all the little things, stirs them up together and they come out for our good….in His plan for us.
I had quite a number of things planned to do today, but one little blinking light (and dinging bell) on my dashboard changed all that. The “Service Engine Soon” light came on last night and, paranoid as I am, had to go get that checked out today. For all I knew, I already had a lingering electrical fire just waiting to burst forth under the front seat. That visit to the car place lasted longer than I had wanted; a wreck on Hwy 20/81 heading into McDonough had the road closed, so me and half the population of Henry County were wiggling through little back roads to get around; when I finally got home there were some other things that had come up that I needed to deal with, so the day finally came to an end with nothing done that I had planned. But, when I looked back over the day, I realized that I had gotten to spend some quality time with my thoughts, with God and…well, with just me. That type of day happens far too rarely. So, it was a good day. I am rested.
All things worked together. My tendency has always been to schedule my days away and if any disruption comes to my plans, I get snarky and out of sorts. I forget that God has His plans for me, has His timing and may need to catch my attention. I pray for more time with just me and God, I get it. I pray for more time to give for others, some meeting or plan changes so that I do have the time. I just need to look at it as God working it all out for me together with everything else going on in my life. He knows my life, my mind, my attitudes and, most importantly, my heart.
Think about the disruptions you have each day that may throw you out of sync. Maybe God is trying to get your attention for some reason. Maybe He is working out your schedules so that He can be a part. Maybe you need to look at the bigger picture and see how it is working together.

All Glory and Majesty be unto the name of the LORD!

Lent - Day 21

2011-06-30T16:36:00.000-04:00

”Don’t let anyone think less of you because you are young. Be an example to all believers in what you teach, in the way you live, in your love, your faith, and in your purity.”
(1 Timothy 4:12)

For almost all my adult life I have been involved with Student Ministry. It has been one of those things that could be called a passion. A love. A calling. I’ve been a Minister of Students full-time in a church, but also gladly worked as a volunteer leader. There are those who would say I enjoy student work because my emotional age is somewhere in my mid-teens, but my poor injury-ravaged body knows differently. After so many student retreats where I’d tumble from a ropes course and from mission trips where I’d hammer my hand into a pulp, and Disciple-now weekends where I ended up tied to outdoor playgrounds with duct tape across my mouth. My doctor just shakes his head and mumbles something about “age-appropriate behavior. Unfortunately, this same zeal often landed me on “probation” and on “double secret probation” numerous times because of my love for pranks.
Looking back on these years, so many students ended up teaching me far more than I could have ever taught them. I may be sharing some of them during these next days because their impact was (and is) so important to me as I continue to grow.
One student who continues to teach me much is Lauren S. Knowing her for the past 12 – 13 years, I’ve seen Lauren grow from a quite rambunctious, independent-minded girl to a (still) rambunctious, independent-minded collegiate young lady with a heart for God and people. Out of the many stories that I could tell of Lauren’s impact, one in particular stands out in my mind. This is when Lauren was in high school. Our student choir had taken on a project to go help clean up one of Atlanta’s most crime-ridden, poverty stricken, inner-city public housing developments – Bowen Homes. This was part of Hands on Atlanta, but also to begin training our students for an upcoming choir mission trip where they would be doing ministry in inner-city projects, food banks and homeless shelters in Louisville, Kentucky.
The students piled off the bus and vans, we adults were handing out brooms, bags, gloves, shovels, and other outdoor cleaning tools and warning them to watch for loose needles and other drug paraphernalia that was lying all over the area. Lauren was in my group and we headed to an outdoor basketball court where a car had recently been torched and the concrete was covered with broken glass and other “interesting” matter. As we cleaned, we noticed curtains and blinds being pulled back in the apartments as residents began to watch us at work. In a few minutes, Lauren came up and asked if she could get a couple other students, go around to apartments to round up some children and play with them in the open areas. She even said they’d tell Bible stories to them. Naturally, I told her this was fine and a great idea and off she went. It wasn’t 15 minutes later when we heard screams of laughter and we looked up the hill and saw Lauren and a few other of our students surrounded by these children from the projects…different from them in every imaginable way – ethnically, financially, background, etc. The only common thing was that God loved them all. After playing all the games of kickball, tag, Red Rover and others, Lauren finally gathered all the children together under a tree to tell them of Jesus. And she did. And they listened.
Did I think of the children when we were out there cleaning? Nope. All I was doing is strictly what we were there to do. The things on the approved schedule for the day. Lauren and her friends saw the need and went to meet it. That’s why I love student work….their vision. Their lack of shyness to share the Gospel. Their ability to see the need and take it on, regardless. Regardless.
There’ll be more stories of my students in coming days, but for this week, think about Lauren. The high school girl who saw beyond color and material things and did what she knew best. Shared Jesus and, at the same time, taught a group of adult leaders a thing or two about one-on-one true evangelism. Don’t count our teenagers out, just because they are teenagers. They are the future of our churches and of our faith. And they can teach us a thing or two if we just pay attention. That’s my goal for today. Open my eyes, Lord.

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

Lent - Day 20

2011-06-30T16:26:00.003-04:00

“Therefore, since we have such a great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside everything that weighs us down, and the sin that holds us captive, and let us run with endurance the race that is before us.” (Hebrews 12:1)

In my home office, one wall is completely covered with pictures of my family and ancestors going back for (at least) five generations. I have a picture of my (4) great-grandfather whose father came to New Jersey from France in the late 1700s. This is the line where my middle name of DeHart came from. I also have pictures and documents of my Jakob Price and Hans Herr side that lived from Lancaster County, PA where my Mennonite and Brethren side derived. That line goes back to the 1500’s in Germany. As far as the Cochran and Anderson side, their pictures are on my wall and several binders of documentation about all branches of my family sit on the table beneath these pictures.
I am proud of my ancestry and of the heritage from which I come. There are several rascals and scandals in my tree, but also, many men and women of faith, courage and determination. I look so forward to getting to heaven where I can finally meet these people who made their marks on much of this country in their lives and continue to today through the current generations.
When I spend time in that room writing, watching television, reading or snoozing, it is impossible to avoid their eyes. After many years of research, I know their stories and their lives; they are as real to me as if they were in the next room. Over the past several years, it has been a privilege to travel to New Jersey, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and see the progression of their moves and so many of their houses and towns are still standing. Even the Herr house in Pennsylvania which was built in the 1600’s by Christiann Herr is still there and I’ve been able to visit inside it and walk the grounds.
These are the people to whom I feel much accountability. I feel them watching as I study and write. They see me when I get frustrated at writer’s block and I can sense them spurring me on to use a gift God has given me.
Ancestors aside, other living people are watching us every day. They know we are Christians and are forming an opinion about Christianity solely from us. When we lose our temper at the office. When we make fun of someone at school. As we drive like a maniac on the highways (especially if you have one of those fish symbols on your car….and, that’s why I don’t). As I learned in Sunday School as a small boy, “I am the best Christian that someone knows.” That can keep you humble!
Not only are your co-workers, neighbors, school mates, even strangers watching you, but that cloud of witnesses spoken of also includes all the great people of faith who have gone on before. Abraham. Moses. Jacob. Joseph. David. JESUS. Are they pleased with how I go through my daily life? You with your daily life? That’s for me to continue working on these next days. And, hopefully, to give you thoughts about the same. As the song goes, “do others see Jesus in you?”

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

Lent Day 19 - Sunday, March 27

2011-04-15T14:45:00.000-04:00

“I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go into the house of the Lord.” (Psalms 122:1)

Today is Sunday. A Holy Day. A day of rest. A day to fellowship with God. And fellow believers. A day to separate from the world (as much as possible). This morning I joined millions of other believers around the world and went to church. And it was good.

Many years ago, I read a book titled, “Mister God, this is Anna.” The main thing that I remember from this book is Anna’s take on the day of rest. Paraphrasing a bit, Anna made the point that “God didn’t rest on the seventh day. He’s God and doesn’t need to rest. By His calling it a day of rest, God created rest for us. We need to have that day away from the hectic life, to rest and visit God.” Isn’t that an interesting take on the seventh day? Still a day of creation for us…a day of rest?

Yet, what do so many of us do, whether we are on church staff or not? We try to cram as much as possible into that one day, in the name of God’s work, that we wear ourselves out and come to almost dread Sundays because of the busyness. Been there, done that, burnt myself out from church. Many churches start at 8 a.m. or earlier with worship services, bible studies, lunches, meetings, visitations, training classes, choirs, programs, programs, programs. And we wonder why people get burnt out and drop away after a season.

In my own personal walk, I have had to make a conscious choice about what I will and will not be involved with. Even though, I enjoy church stuff and love to be involved, I’ve just learned that I can’t do it all…..as much as I wish I could. As a general rule these days, keep my afternoons and evenings free for family, friends, reading, basically quietness. Avoiding the office or other working. Even though I’m writing, it is in my home office, watching the birds in the woods out the windows and enjoying the music from my iPod/Bose system. Resting. As the day was created to do.

Let me encourage you to at least try and simplify your day of rest. Realize that you and your family might need to be hanging out together rather than running all over the county trying to do things that could really wait until the next week. Use Sunday as a day of rest, and, go back to the verse from earlier in this Lenten season, “Be still and know that I am God.”(Psalms 46:10).

Thanks be to God for his indescribable GIFT!

Lent Day 18 - Saturday, March 26

2011-04-15T14:44:00.001-04:00

“The Son of Man (Jesus) did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as payment for many.” (Matthew 20:28)

“What’s in it for me?” “I’d be glad to help, but are you buying me lunch?” “Yeah, I can loan you a few bucks, but you’ll owe me big time!” “Leave me alone – I have rights!” How many times have you said, or thought, these or similar words? Somehow, society has acquired the mindset that we are all owed something from everyone else. We’re willing to do and help, but want to be repaid in some way. Again….”what’s in it for me?” The truly sad thing is that this attitude has even affected Christians, the ones who are supposed to be all about turning the other cheek and denying oneself.

Part of my Lenten journey, and hopefully yours, is getting out of our “selves” and focusing more on others. How and who can I help that needs unconditional help, which means that I don’t expect anything in return? In other words, volunteers. I can be very quick to write a check to a non-profit and/or charity so they can provide help….but how often do I actually plan to get my hands involved in the work? Am I willing to put my mouth where my checkbook is?

I could begin to list local organizations where our physical presence is needed, almost as much as financial donations are welcomed. The problem is that some would be left out, so for that, I apologize in advance. The ones I mention below are groups that I am, or have been, a part of in times past and still feel strongly about their support. Even though many are in my own Henry County, most other counties have similar organizations, too. So, take a Saturday afternoon, a weekday evening, a couple hours here and there to volunteer. Your heart will be blessed as much as those to whom you minister.

Assistance for women and children (Haven House, A Friends House), Food Banks (Helping in His Name), Pregnancy Resource/Crisis Centers, animal shelters (local humane societies, Noah’s Ark), Feeding the hungry in our own area and those around (Love Ministries), providing housing and shelter (Fuller Center Project – McDonough). See? I know I’ve left others out, but do your homework and find something that interests you and get involved.

Maybe this still isn’t what you can do, so look at your local church for opportunities. I have never known of a church that doesn’t need volunteers for community efforts (again, feeding the hungry, apartment ministries, assisted living or nursing home programs, packing shoeboxes for children overseas), to work with children and teenagers in sports programs, sending postcards or making telephone calls to those who are shut-in and cannot regularly attend church, spending time in the prayer room and sending a prayer-gram to someone in a difficult time or illness, greeting those who attend your church with a smile and an open door…it just takes a wee bit of effort to find somewhere to give of yourself.

Part of this season (for me) is to give time for others. Focusing on others. More about you. Less about me. More about God. Less about Jimmy.

Jesus did not come to be served as the Son of God. He came to be a servant. To serve others. To wash their feet. To teach us…you and me… how to be a servant. To not expect to get anything in return. Pray and look for ways you can do the same.

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

Lent Day 17 - Friday, March 25

2011-04-15T14:42:00.000-04:00

“Oh, sing to the Lord a new song! Sing to the Lord all the earth.” (Psalm 96:1)

With no offense intended to any preachers and speakers….my primary means of personal worship has always been through music. Music has been, is and will always be my primary means of giving back to God and is the medium through which God blesses me. From the time I cannot even remember, my mom says that I would go sit at the piano and tap at little nonsensical melodies and rhythms….never banging, just intentional playing. So, when I hit second grade, I began piano lessons. From the first Tuesday when I entered Mrs. Stephens living room and sat down at her piano, I fell in love with music. Through the next few years, I learned popular songs, classical and jazz, but my heart responded and my fingers fell into the natural rhythms of God’s music. Of course, in those days, hymns reigned supreme and the most daring of contemporary Christian music belonged to the Imperials.

When I was 13, I began to fill in at my church, and when I was 15, I went to my first church as their full-time pianist. Except for a couple years, I’ve served as a church musician for about 40 years. One of the most excited times of my life was when a contemporary Christian group of which I was a part, sang at the National Quartet Convention in Nashville along with the great names of the Gospel world...the Goodmans, LeFevres, Speers, and on and on. I grew into the contemporary music when it began to permeate our churches, and found a whole new way to worship in music. Still love the traditional, but can certainly appreciate the new styles and blends. After all, it is all about the worship for God, isn’t it?

Music is what I have playing when I write, read, walk or sleep. Music is playing when I work and the style of music usually is determined by the mood of the day. Sometimes country & western, other times classical, Christian, gospel, jazz, show tunes, and celtic. Music has a massive effect on my spirit and attitude.

What is your worship trigger? Music, sermons, prayer, Bible study? What draws you closer to God in your personal time? In your corporate time? I know of folks who are always late to the worship service because they don’t care for music (in general), but just want to hear the preaching. Well and good, but I feel sorry for them missing out on part of the whole worshipping experience. I emphasized the word late because they were late in meeting God….who was already there through the music. You don’t need to sing, just sit or stand and feel it. Hear the words of praise. Feel the rhythms in your soul. Even tap your foot.

Think today about how you worship. What inspires you the most. Also, consider how all parts of a corporate worship service are designed to draw you closer to God. Don’t get hung up on the traditional or contemporary words…it’s okay to have a preference, but it is all God’s music.

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

Lent Day 16 - Thursday, March 24

2011-04-15T14:40:00.000-04:00

“But, no one can tame the tongue. It is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison.” (James 3:8)

When I was an eighth grader, I got mad and told our preacher’s daughter to go to hell. Yeah, bad choice. But, she made me mad and I wanted to really, really hurt her, so I thought I would condemn her to eternal torment. And, for that moment, I wanted that. Plus, I was an eighth grade guy and that sounded so cool. However, with the sight of her face scrunching up and the tears starting to flow, my feeling of superiority dwindled. I began to hurt for her and feel really sorry for what I had said. Now, folks, bear in mind….this was, like, 1966 and that phrase was not as widely used as it is now. I have no idea where I even learned it, but it sure came flying out of my mouth easily.

That day, a Sunday (I actually said that on a Sunday? And to a preacher’s daughter?), I began a lifelong struggle with controlling my tongue and my determination to always have the last word even if it was harmful to someone else.

As far back as I can remember as a child, it seems I always had a bar of soap in my mouth for talking back to my mom and/or accompanying it with a slobbery raspberry…Bronx cheer….you know. Again, bad choices. Real bad. My grade reports from elementary school always had unsatisfactory grades in behavior…because I couldn’t keep my mouth shut.

Now I have a laptop computer and access to the whole world via the internet to get last words. I’m sorry to say that I have used that medium to do that once or twice and have immediately felt worse than the condemnation of the preacher’s girl. I could delete the post, but the harm was done. Thanks be to God that as I have grown physically and spiritually, I have also learned to man up and say, “I’m sorry.” And mean it. My prayer has also been that I not do harm by anything I say or write, but that God be glorified and I think (with His help), I am winning that battle. This is biggest problem I deal with as far as my tongue goes. Thank goodness, I’ve never been inclined to gossip a lot. (Note that I said a lot. That doesn’t mean at all.)

Now, enough of me…how about you? How’s your tongue doing? Do you have a smart mouth? Do you hurt people with your words when you lash out in anger? Is your language inappropriate (and inappropriate language can be more than just profanity)? Pleasing to God? Do you gossip about people? Are you friends as long as you are together, then talk about them as soon as they walk off?

The scriptures talk in several places about the danger of an untamed tongue. I’ve seen how much harm can come from one word spoken in an emotion other than Love (as in, God’s Love). I continue to struggle with that tiny little slimy, gooey thing in my mouth and it is harder to control than anything I’ve battled in my life. How about you? Is it a battle, or do you just let the words fly?

Spend today honestly thinking about your words, spoken or written. Do they build someone up or tear someone down? Do they build God up or tear Him down. Ultimately, it will build your witness up or tear it down.

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

Lent Day 15 - Wednesday, March 23

2011-04-15T14:38:00.001-04:00

“For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and people. He is the man, Christ Jesus.” (I Timothy 2:5)

All signs pointed to the kid being guilty. Witnesses, evidence, prior behavior. The kid didn’t think he had done it, but wasn’t sure because he had been under the influence at the time. A confession was finally coerced through intimidation, but there was one man who didn’t accept it. He stood with the kid against everyone else. He stood with the kid through intimidation, jeers, threats and ridicule, but finally proved him innocent. The man was Special Agent Leroy Jethro Gibbs of N.C.I.S. Once again, Gibbs followed stood firm for his charge and prevailed against all the worldly influence against him. Gibbs served as a mediator between the kid and the evil Director Vance.

If my life were on the television screen, it would certainly be an entertaining show (except for me). Lying to parents, smoking, ‘absconding’ with a school bus in the 11th grade for a joy ride to McDonalds with some buddies during the school day, questioned by police at 2 a.m. about why a few of us were rolling a soft drink machine through the streets of Decatur, picking up a hitchhiker (the last time) who held a knife on me as I drove him into the wilds of Bulloch County while my roommate in the backseat tried to spray him in the eyes with Fix-A-Flat, running over Seth McKay’s bare foot with a Ford Explorer (not a good result)….and on and on and on. I want even go into the adventures with Gabe Walker and the rest of the gang.

My point is, looking back at my life, I’ve made, and continue to make, lots of mistakes. And I’ve had to reap the consequences of them. Some painfully physical, some painfully financial, some painfully humiliating. I have been remarkably lucky to not have ended up in court on several occasions, but if I had, hopefully I would have found a good lawyer to mediate for me.

I could have probably made more appropriate choices in my life and not gotten in so much trouble. However, I have no choice about whether I sin or not. That is a guaranteed action in all of our lives. “For all have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.” (Romans 3:23). If I had to stand before God and be held accountable for my, oh so many, sins….I would have no hope. No excuse. No chance of getting out of it. Nada. However, because of God’s Love for us (back to Day 2), he sent Jesus Christ to be our mediator. That is, to stand between my pitiful self and almighty God and plead my case….not for innocence, but for forgiveness and a cleansing of the slate. That’s the Grace you hear about so much. Do I deserve it? Heck, no! Do you? Heck, no! But, God does it out of love.

On this day, think about the fact that Jesus is constantly standing up for us before God. “You know that Jimmy, Father? Well, he is quite a sinner, but he believes in us, in me, and in the fact that I died for Him. So, we’ll erase these last things from his record and it’ll be like he never did them.” Oh, how wonderful it is to have that mediator! Be sure to thank Jesus today for standing up for us and for the forgiveness we receive.

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

Lent Day 14 - Tuesday, March 22

2011-04-15T14:36:00.000-04:00

“I have hidden Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)

Way back in the day when my student pastor first mentioned the observance of a Lent Season to us, he talked about the many ways we could participate. As I mentioned in an earlier post, there is the traditional way of fasting, denying oneself, etc. That is always a good route to take. However, Rob also spoke of options by taking on more each day or periodically during the Season.

One of those options is spending extra time in God’s Word. It sounds rather odd to encourage Christians to spend more time in God’s Word, when we should be spending tons of time….however, if truth be known, I think most of us spend about as little time as we can (three fingers pointing back to Jimmy). Do you have some type of devotional book that you read in the morning, evening or both, read a few verses that it suggests, and then count yourself done for the day? Not to take away from that, because that is certainly a good thing, and it does begin or end your day with thoughts of God. How many of us may read our Sunday school lesson for the next week and look up all the scriptures and really, really study them? Do you ever use the cross-reference notes in your Bible to follow a theme or idea throughout the other books? Or you may be someone that does some serious Scripture reading and studying each day, or every day or two. Good for you….but, don’t feel so smug. There’s always more time to read and study.

My thoughts and suggestions to you involve actually giving up time that you might normally use for a television show, a computer game, a wii game, reading other materials and put the Bible in place. After all, is playing “Teen Dancing Queen on Roller Skates” for two hours going to draw you closer to God and learning His way for your life. Give up some time for God’s Word. Write some of your favorite verses on sticky notes and put them on your bathroom mirror, your kitchen cabinet, your car dash, your desk at work, your computer monitor. Wherever you will see them and be reminded all during the day. Since I graduated from college and got my first job, I’ve always kept a little piece of paper taped to the tape dispenser on my desk that “We are more than conquerors through Him that loves us.” (Romans 8:37). Just the reminder of that promise has gotten me through many difficult days. Even since I retired, that same little verse that I wrote down in January of 1975 is still taped on my desk here at home in my study. And believe me that I’ve (once again) claimed that promise over the past few weeks.

Find your verse(s) and keep them close…on paper…but, especially in your heart. Let me encourage you to work hard in bringing God’s Word closer to your heart and life.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.

Lent Day 13 - Monday March 21

2011-04-15T14:35:00.002-04:00

“God is our refuge and strength. A very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)

Today’s thoughts began very early this morning and was almost complete when my sails were knocked for a loop. Because of the public forum, I cannot go into many details, however, I had made a stand for Christ and my beliefs a little over a week ago and refused to stand down. This caused some ripples which led to bigger Ripples which finally led to a series of rather large waves. I had to stand by what I believe God was telling me and that led to some actions which were not well received. So….anyway, around lunchtime today, I received an email which was rather harsh and ultimately stated that “you obviously do not believe what you write in your own religion writings.”

Folks, that devastated me. I am human. I make mistakes. Big ones, at times. Sometimes my mouth gets me in trouble, but I have dealt with that issue a number of years ago. I honestly try to live by James 1:19, to be “be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.” I take my writing very seriously and try to only do what God wants me to do. But, this unwarranted slam kinda sent me into a spin. I know it isn’t true in my head, but my heart was hurt.

I also know that when we are doing God’s work, that Satan takes every opportunity to try and defeat us. Using our own emotions. Using other people. Using life circumstances. Using anything possible that he knows will stop us.

So, for today, I am attempting to pray for this person and that God will open their heart to His love and to His understanding and peace. As for me, I’ve spent enough time in licking my wounds and am picking myself up in God’s strength to keep going.

My words for today are for you to always be on guard when following God. And be aware that Satan is going to do his best to destroy your efforts, using the sneakiest of means that are hard to recognize. However, when the hurt comes, God is your refuge and strength. Your help. Your hiding place. Your reason to keep going. I’m praying for you as the storm buffet you while following God. I pray that you will always feel His presence.

Okay, enough of this. I’ve got a day of more important things to do for God rather than letting Satan keep me down.

Blessed be the name of the LORD!

Lent - Day 12 Sunday March 20

2011-03-29T19:26:00.001-04:00

“Do not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but encouraging each other….” (Hebrews 10:25)

Habits are hard to form and easy to break. For example, I’ve always been a fingernail biter….ever since just a wee lad. Tried the stuff you buy at the drugstore, pepper sauce, scrapings of bar soap and even…ear wax. I know. I know. There have been brief periods when I managed to stop, but before too long had passed, I was back to chomping away. One finger at a time. I just cannot form the habit of not biting them, but it’s so easy to break the habit once it begins to form. To form a new habit, whether it be stopping nail biting, limiting the foods I eat, exercising more, whatever it may be takes awhile and I have to be diligent and serious. Even when I do want to go out for a run (or even a walk), I have to force myself to get up and go. But, once the habit becomes deeply ingrained in me, then it isn’t so bad. Like learning to drink skim milk. Sorta.

Church is that way. We go, enjoy a bible study group, a worship service, being around friends and think it will always be that way. But, one Sunday you are just really tired and decide to stay home. You go back the next. Then you spent a busy week at work, spent all day Saturday doing yard work and really just need a day to rest up before the job on Monday. So, you head to the lake. Or the golf course. Or the mountains. Or the recliner. The next week, it kinda works the same way. Before long, you are out of the habit of Bible study, but may still show up for worship. But, you might not know everybody like you did in your class, so you aren’t quite so comfortable. Before long, you just don’t go at all. Anywhere. After a week or two, folks aren’t calling saying you were missed. Oh, you may see them at Kroger and you think you’ll try and get back the next week, but you don’t.

The most important part of the journey I’m on right now is to stay in touch with God’s people. Through corporate worship, through Bible study groups, through individual worship and Bible study, just be around the family of God. Your family. My family. Our family.

This is my accountability place. This is my growing place. This is my learning place. This is my place of strength. How could I ever attempt to draw closer to God and discover His way for my life if I avoid His house and His people? Sure, God can speak to me directly, but more often it is through pastors, Bible study teachers, through music and through friends.

As you travel along, searching for God’s way in your life, please do not forsake God’s house and people. I’ve been there, done that and it was a time that I will never repeat. Dark days and many lonely hours without feeling the connection with God. Stay assembled. Associate yourself with Godly people.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.

Lent - Day 11 Saturday March 19

2011-03-29T19:24:00.000-04:00

“In His time, in His time, He makes all things beautiful, in His time. Lord please show me every day as you’re teaching me Your way, that you’ll do just what you say, in Your time.
In Your time, in Your time, You make all things beautiful, in Your time. Lord, my life to you I bring, may each song I have to sing, be to You a lovely thing in Your time.” ~ Praise chorus

For about nine months now, I have been working on simplifying my life. Looking for those things that cause me to stress and withdraw from a 100% committed walk with God. If you haven’t read any of my “Simplifying” articles, I was feeling a need to slow down, spend more time in God’s word, more time with family, more time for friends, more time with in-depth Bible study – personal and corporate. Along the way, there were changes that have helped this to happen….but, somehow over the past couple of months, I was back to the hectic, crazed, stress-filled days of the past.

As a result of my simplifying process and in accordance with my personal journey during this Lenten season, I took a major….and I mean major step of faith yesterday. I quit a job. Yep, resigned. Adios. Au revoir. Auf Wiedersehn. I slept better last night that I have in a long, long time. Without going into details of the why and such, it was a move long overdue and God gave me the strength to do it. I trust Him to account for some loss of income, but I have no worries about it. He will provide for me and my family. He has promised that if I live according to His Will and follow His ways, I do not need to worry. You know…the whole sparrows and lilies of the field thing. And….the remarkable thing….especially for me…is that I have not a single worry nor regret. I know my world will be better. Happier. Less Drama. I am still rather astounded at what has transpired over the past 24 hours that I never saw coming. A true God-wink.

I may be looking for something part-time to do in the next months (I’m still at the Library part-time), but God will be leading me into His place for me. Now folks, that’s exciting for me. I have always tended to rush ahead of God in some things and it’s usually gotten me into a mess. Not doing that anymore.

Are there areas of your life where you need to simplify and make changes so that you can actually hear that still, small voice of God? It isn’t easy to make the changes necessary, but if you ask God (before jumping) first, then trust His leading.

Use these next few weeks to examine your life and how you might calm your busy world. How you might have more time for God, His people, and those dear to you. How your overall attitude might be helped. I’m praying for you as you do this.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Lent - Day 10 Friday March 18

2011-03-29T19:23:00.002-04:00

“The earth is the LORD's, and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to him.” (Psalms 24:1)

Nothing like getting a little dirt under your fingernails to make you feel better. These past few days have been absolutely perfect weather outside, but I’ve been stuck inside looking out from my job. It’s been a pain to hear people coming in and talking about how gorgeous it was outside and how sad they were for us that we were inside. Thanks. We need to hear that every ten minutes. But, today is my day off and after breakfast and coffee; I took a stroll in the back yard to see what was happening.

The Hosta plants are coming up, Cherokee and Confederate roses are greening up, all the irises are up, shamrocks are peeping through the pine straw, and on and on. However, the wild onions, thorny things, and other odd weeds are also growing as fast as anything. I stooped down to pull some of them up and since you can’t stop with just one, I kept pulling and yanking until a whole section was gone. Then, feeling rather garden-smug, I dragged some pots and soil from underneath the deck and planted some Spring Viola plants (of the pansy family) for the front walk. Coming in, I realized I felt good. That dirt smell kinda mixed with the good sweat smell. Dirt under the fingernails (at least those I have chewed down to the knuckle). It was good. The smell of new life. Rebirth. Nature. Creation. New Beginnings.

That’s part of what the Lent season is meant to be. A season where we closely examine the ‘dirt’ of our lives and begin to nurture a renewal. To bring forth new growth. To dig out the weeds and thorns that have grown up, almost without us realizing it, and leave plenty of room for God’s love to fertilize and bring our new lives into full bloom. With His colors.

The earth belongs to God and everything that lives here. Not only the roses, lantana and butterfly bushes; but, you and me. All things belong to Him. He is our gardener and cultivator. During this season, God is doing some pruning and weeding out in my life, and He may be doing so in yours. It’s not always the most enjoyable thing, but I do know that the final product will be a strong, healthy and beautiful plant called Jimmy (insert your name). Stay strong today, look for God’s work in your life and thank Him for creating such a lovely garden….plants and people alike.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Lent - Day 9 Thursday March 17

2011-03-29T19:20:00.001-04:00

“So that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bow of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth. And every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Philippians 2:10-11)

As happens, Satan has been throwing his best shots at me the past couple of days. Feelings of stress over what I perceive as so much needing to be done, anxiety overwhelming most of the waking day, the pointlessness of trying to keep up with writing daily, feeling the unreal and unmet expectations that I think other people put on me….and that I certainly put on myself. Just one of those times when I at least know that it is the ‘dark one’ trying his best to worm himself into my life and defeat me. That’s one advantage to age and maturity; at least it becomes easier to recognize that when you are a teenager or young adult. But, that doesn’t make the struggle any easier.

I have found myself questioning a lot the past couple of days. Not in a spiritual sense, but what good am I doing on this earth? I’m tired…oh, so tired….and, to be honest, I’m continuing to type these thoughts only because I hate the thought of giving up something I promised myself to carry to completion.

Friends and readers, let me encourage you to recognize when Satan is working against the good you attempt to do. It is a rough experience and can easily defeat you. The emotions that he throws at you will wear you down and cause you to question yourself and the good works you do. That’s what I’m feeling today.

But. There. Is. Hope. Because I just happened across a scripture this morning that is so powerful and so promising and so great. That is the verse at the top. Our God, Our Saviour, Our Holy Spirit will someday reveal himself to the world and they WILL be bowing down and proclaiming Him LORD. GOD. SAVIOUR. JEHOVAH. YAHWEH. I AM.

I can do no less each day as I go about my rather mundane world. From past experience, I know that by holding fast to God’s power, strength, and promises to me, these days of provoking by the evil one will pass. But, for now, I struggle. Pray for me as I pray for you as you encounter these days. No one is immune. They will come. But, we have the hope. Peace go with you.

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Lent Day 8 - Wednesday March 16

2011-03-29T19:11:00.001-04:00

“Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine.” (2 Cor. 13:5)

It’s been a week. I started this journey through the Lenten season a week ago, and I am detecting some differences in myself. For the good. Even though I have observed the season of Lent for many years, this is the first time I have done so in such a transparent manner. I don’t know how many of you are following along and taking it to heart, but I do pray for all of you. The period of withdrawal is not easy and can be lonely at time, but I have found God lurking in the strangest places just waiting for me to appear. Then, it’s kind of a spiritual “gotcha” moment when He jumps out and surprises me.

I feel a point has come that I need to request your discretion regarding my thoughts in coming weeks. These are my experiences and I choose to share them in a public forum, however, that does not mean they need to be discussed with my family. Chat amongst yourselves, give me a call or email, but, please leave my family out of the talking and questions. You know, the "Why would Jimmy say that? Did that really happen?" You know. Thanks for your consideration.

After this first week, I feel like it is time to evaluate my path, my motives and my faith. As the scripture says, “….to see if it is genuine.” I guess my primary concern is that there are those who might think my daily postings of my journey may be from some sense of pride and accomplishment. That, my friends, I can strongly attest to being not true. My family comes from a strong Mennonite, Brethren, Methodist (and now) Baptist background and we were taught from early childhood about the dangers of pride and ego. That is part of my heritage. Several generations back, one of my great-grandpas, Hans Herr, was a Mennonite minister and in reading some of his sermons, I can sense the struggle between the sin of Pride and the Way of the Lord among his congregation and community in Pennsylvania. "Ve don't question ze Vill of Gott," he would have said.

Even though I love my jobs, working in the secular world can be difficult during this season. Many times the general nature of them leads me into situations where attitudes, lifestyles and language is not where I am comfortable. Except for the years I served as a full-time Minister, I have always worked in the secular world, because I feel that is God’s calling for me in this season of my life. It takes all the strength that God can pour into me at times to hold firm and remember who I belong to…..while giving obedience to my earthly employers and doing a good job. For that reason, I have to periodically evaluate my faith and make sure it is still on target. Pure. Genuine. Strong.

You may be in situations similar. You can easily get caught up in the glamour of the world (and it can be a glamorous place, if we’re honest), and lose a smidge of our faith along the way. I’m working especially hard to not falter during this season. To stay strong. Be the example of a Man of God (see “Being God’s” – yep, I’m unashamedly always trying to get a few more book sales out of the deal….). So today, I’m going to be examining my faith from all angles to make sure I’m strong and safe in the arms of God. Will you join me?

Blessed be the name of the Lord.

Lent - Day 7 Tuesday March 15

2011-03-29T19:09:00.002-04:00

“All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

As I set out on any journey, be it to downtown Atlanta, around the Square in McDonough, to one of the beaches in Florida or to any other location in the world, i need to figure out how to get there. Having grown up in Atlanta and Henry County, I do pretty good in navigating around, also, there are a few other places that I’ve been to enough to feel somewhat comfortable in traveling and finding my way. New York City, Washington D.C., several cities and islands in Florida are all within my comfort zone. However on a mission trip to New York several years back, I did manage to get a van full of white teenagers lost at 9 p.m. in the midst of Harlem. Talk about God’s protection of the idiot student pastor!

I’m currently planning a trip to England for research on a book I am writing. Ain’t got a clue about anything over there, excited about going, but am reading every book, map and train schedule I can get my hands on. Nothing is scarier than being in a situation where you don’t know where you are, what to do, and just want to get back to something familiar. Knowledge is a comfort.

As I journey through Lent, writing these thoughts each day, I’ve been surprised on a couple levels. One is that I actually do know scriptures by heart. I guess all those years in Junior and Intermediate Sunday School, plus the many Bible drills I was in, are paying off. However, for every verse that pops into mind on particular days, makes me realize how many scriptures I don’t know that would prove so helpful. I have the standard verses to fall back on during times of spiritual learning and travel; John 3:16, Romans 8:28, Proverbs 3:5-6, Isaiah 41:10, Jeremiah 29:11 and so many more. Those pop into mine and your heads easily. However, as I search and read the Bible more during these days, I find so many treasures of scripture that I’ve never known. Are they new? Are these some of the ‘jots and tittles’ that we hear about? Are they not in the particular version of the Bible I use? Nope. They are there and have been for all time. God gave these words to man by inspiration and they have stood the test of time. Scriptures to Guide. Direct. Encourage. Comfort. Strengthen. A book written by God, not a person. The only standard for life direction you can depend upon.

Let me encourage you (as I encourage myself) to spend more time in God’s Word (especially during this Holy Season of Lent). This is the time to learn more, grow more and draw closer to our God. Just an extra verse a day, then a chapter, then two. Before long, all you want to read is Scripture at the expense of all other books. I spoke with a grown adult man a couple years ago at Salem who mentioned that the only book he reads is the Bible. “It’s the only one I need. The only one that interests me,” he said. WOW!

And this scribe can add no further words to that. I’m praying for each of you and hope you are gaining just a tidbit from these musings.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.

Lent - Day 6 Monday March 14

2011-03-29T19:05:00.004-04:00

”I will give thanks to YOU, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” Psalm 139:14

I used a lot of my day on Sunday to take stock. Not a bad thing, all in all. After a God-inspired sermon on the ‘less than favorable’ persons in the lineage of Jesus (Tamar – a ‘loose woman’ who seduced her father-in law, and Rahab – a Gentile prostitute) I got to thinking about what Pastor Marcus had said. If these type of people are a part of Jesus’ family (and I certainly have some bizzaro-world people in my family), then why would I ever doubt God accepting me? Also, I had the chance again to use a gift of keyboard music that God gave to me for worship enhancing, was truly marvelous. Somedays, the only places I can feel God’s presence is at keyboards; acoustic piano, electric piano and computer.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve always had some problems with self-esteem. I tend to let people intimidate me (usually unintentionally on their part). Their position in the church, as community leaders, their appearance and their intelligence. They may be influential people in my life who I do look to as mentors and encouragers. But still, intimidation. I have a problem to stand up to them when necessary, allow them (at times) to run over me, and after a period of time, I don’t feel it worth the effort, and sometimes….I just don’t care. But, at times, I have allowed them to crush my spirit. Physically. Emotionally. Spiritually.

However, in recent years, I have begun to get over this. One big reason is for the simple fact that - I. Am. Over. Fifty. I truly don’t care what you might think of me. I’m discovering the joy and delight of making it to that milestone and the freedom to live my life as I want. (Think Tawanda in “Fried Green Tomatoes” in the grocery parking lot.) If I want to sing showtunes in the middle of Kroger with friends, along with an impromptu dance, then so be it. I don’t care. And yes, that’s been done. The other thing is that I can look back at so many experiences where God has led me, encouraged me, taught me, chastened me, but, always always been by my side.

One of my hopes for these next few weeks of examining myself and searching for a closer walk with God is to realize that God made me. Jimmy. James. James Douglas DeHart Cochran. From the Price and Herr lineage of Lancaster County, PA. He made me just as he wanted me and no one has the right to make me feel less than a child of God. To make me feel like a Tamar or Rahab in the family tree.

Do you struggle with this? As the Psalm says, we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.” God had breathed life and His spirit into me when we were first conceived. First Conceived. Join with me and claim this scripture and stand as a child of God. Quirky. Odd. Funny. Serious. Sinful. Nerdy. Whatever. Just always let His light shine through you. We are family. Unconditionally accepted.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.

Lent Day 5 - Sunday March 13

2011-03-29T19:04:00.001-04:00

“And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, He then became hungry…” Matthew 4:2

After Jesus’ baptism, we read that he left the Jordan River and went to an area of wilderness to spend time in fasting and prayer. After that period, Satan came to tempt him. Part of the Lent season is traditionally spent in some type of fast, or denying some degree of sustenance in order to be reminded not only of this period in Jesus’ life, but also of his pain and suffering at the end of his life. Traditionally, a Lenten fast is no meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday and all Fridays in between. Other days may consist of one large regular meal, and a couple of very small meals. In addition to this, one may decide to totally give up something precious (like chocolate, coffee, soft drinks, or other items) in order to use the recurring desire for these items as a reminder for prayer or service.

The Scripture above tells us that after the 40 day and night period, Jesus was hungry. Some translations use the word famished. Ya think, Skippy? I mean, Jesus was human and spending that long a period of denial affected him greatly. For me, the phrase “affect me greatly” is not even in the ballpark. I would be begging for food and drink from the first person I saw, and would have no qualms about selling my family and friends in order to get it. I would be beyond grumpy and snarky with hunger; whining and crying at one moment, lying in a fetal position under the nearest rock the next.

Folks, after period of time when we are strongly following God, tuning in to Him, seeking Him, Satan will be busting at the seams to get us back in his hands. You may have heard of the mountain top to the valley experience. Satan knows to strike us when we are weakest. At our point of the greatest weakness. If we are trying to limit our time on Facebook, chat rooms, dating sites, etc., Satan may easily begin using those same sites to lure us back to inappropriate places. If we are trying to stay away from movies, tv shows and music, Satan is going to be lurking behind that one movie that we just have to see, and we get sucked back in. God’s power is all-powerful. More than Satan. More than anything. However, Satan is powerful, also. He will wait until our weakest moments and whisper quietly, “yoo-hoo…let’s go over there and do that….it’s okay…we’ll have fun. Plus, everybody else is there, too.” You go, try it, and unless you can react as Jesus did in his temptations, you lose the battle.

During this season of Lent, I am trying to further purify my life. Input = Output. Be more aware of my environments and what enters my mind and body. My body = God’s temple. I am diabetic and have a liver disease. I know how I should eat, but don’t always do it. I know I should exercise, but don’t do it. Satan uses my weaknesses of food to wreck God’s temple inside me. I have to do better. I need accountability. Prayer. Accountability. God’s strength in the face of temptation. (as I yearn for that bag of crunchy Cheeto’s in the kitchen). I urge you to work on staying strong in the face of temptation as you travel this journey of God’s Love and as a new heart is being created in you. Don’t forget our earlier days of this trip.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.

Lent Day 4 - Saturday March 12

2011-03-29T19:02:00.002-04:00

“He went about doing good ….for God was with Him.” (Acts 10:38)

To preface my question today, I ask that you not get all quibbly about dates, and accuracies of time frames, and seasons, and all that….just hang a bit loose with me for a bit.

Suppose you knew that you were gonna die in 30 days. Basically, a month. Four weeks. Would you even want to know? Stop and think for a minute about what you would do these next days – would you do anything differently than normal? Would you quit your job and sit at home in a bleary-eyed funk? Would you spend quality time with family and friends? Would you travel and spend every cent you have? How would you handle these next [very] few weeks?

We have a pretty clear picture from the Scriptures of what Jesus’ schedule was during that final week, but not so much for that last month. I think it was a lot like the scripture above. Jesus simply continued to go about doing good. No fanfare. No marching bands. He simply did what He was here to do. Love. Heal. Teach. Encourage. Disciple. We’ll get to that last week when it’s time, but for now, think about those last weeks leading up to the cross.

Hmmm. What would I do? I’d like to think that I would go out with my chin up, head high, singing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. I’d like to think I would spend my time witnessing to those I come in contact with each day with whom I have failed to share my faith. I’d like to think I’d at least stand up more for my faith. This happened to me yesterday. I had a meeting with someone who became extremely negative about specific churches, specific Christians, and even the church universal. I was most uncomfortable because I took it as an attack against me, my church(es), and my faith. This isn’t the first time this type of encounter has happened in this way…there have been quite a few, but it struck me particularly hard this time. I sat there and listened and took it. Partly because others were in the room, but that’s just my excuse. I just sat there and took it. These folks know of my Christianity and of my belief in God and my love for the church. I just sat there and took it. I just sat there and took it. And then I left; angry at them, discouraged, anxious and angry at me. I just sat there and took it.

I didn’t go about doing good. I did not defend the beliefs I have. The God in whom I believe, serve and love. I was not a witness (other than the fact I did not punch someone in the face and call them all manner of names that I should not even know).

If I had only 30 days to live, I would count my life a failure if I did not go back and have a chat to speak up for God’s work in my life and in those around me. Plus, I am not even guaranteed those 30 days. I’m not even promised the rest of today. Or tomorrow. Will I confront (in a loving way) this individual next week? I hope so, I’ll let you know. This is the type of transparency I am going to have to have with myself and with you if this journey is to mean anything to me. If I am to grow. Today I pray for the strength of Jesus in my life to go about doing good in His name. And, I shall pray for you.

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift.

Lent Day 3 - Friday March 11

2011-03-29T18:58:00.005-04:00

“Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)

Sometimes it seems like everything in my life is dirty. My car is always dirty, my shoes constantly need brushing (I gave up on polishing years ago), my laundry is never caught up, there’s always some type of cobweb-condominium being built in the corners of my home office, the screens to my computers are inches deep in dust. Get the point? The marvelous thing is that when any of the above actually get cleaned…I have a whole new perspective. Such as, I keep thinking how I need a new car, until I wash mine…then, WOW! What a nice looking car! I think I’ll keep it! Same with the laundry. I’m always out of socks or my favorite thrift shop logo t-shirts and head out to buy more, but then I’ll do a load of wash. Woo-hoo! There’s that raggedy old Harley 1998 New Mexico race shirt I love so dearly.

My heart gets dirty much the same way….by not taking care of it and protecting it as I should. Remember all the noise and confusion I mentioned yesterday? Well, not keeping a quiet time creates a small smudge on my heart. Then, perhaps I read a book that isn’t the most appropriate. Smudge. Watch a questionable television show or movie. Smudge. Smudge. Laugh at a joke that isn’t what I should hear, but I want to be ‘accepted.’ Smudge. Maybe (on that rare occasion) a word slips out in anger, frustration, or pain (when pinkie toe hits end table in the middle of the night). Smudge. Smudge. Smudge. Before very long, my heart isn’t very clean and God can’t be seen very clearly. And I don’t feel so great. Not so ‘set apart.’ Not so holy. Not so ‘light on a hill.’ Like God don’t really care so much about me.

I falter a lot. Sometimes I’m strong, but often I’m not. I’m human. As are you. We all stumble, feel guilty and have to ask God to forgive us. Over and over and over. And He does! The strength to stand up to the temptations of daily living is what I’m seeking during this Lenten journey. By remembering that God is Love. God loves me. Without question. What do you need to do so that your heart stays clean?

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!

Lent Day 2 - Thursday March 10

2011-03-29T18:46:00.002-04:00

Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)

I don’t know about you, but when I am looking forward to something, I tend to clam up. Whether it is a test, a meeting, a trip, a doctor appointment, a new job, whatever, I withdraw into myself to prepare myself. Not everyone does this, I know, it’s just how I roll. The problem comes because I rarely find myself in a quiet place (physically or emotionally) so that I can seriously, honestly think. My world seems to always have a television on, a CD playing, an iPod in my ear, people surrounding me, computers running, noise, noise, noise. From waking up to going to bed. Noise and distractions. My mind constantly spinning about things happening, things coming up, things I’m responsible for, things I’m not responsible for. No quietness.

In my book, “Being God’s,” I write about taking scuba lessons a number of years ago. To this day, it is still the most awesome experience imaginable. When you submerge under the water to a depth where you don’t hear any surface noises, the quiet is amazing. Words cannot describe the silence unless you’ve been there. The only sound is the quiet shussh-ing from the oxygen valves and regulators as you breathe. The beauty of the underwater world is staggering and it is impossible to not experience the presence of God. That was the first time I understood the full meaning of the verse above – “be still, and know that I am God.” It happens every time.

As we journey through this season we cannot grow and learn of God if we are not quiet at some point in our day. Some point where we can focus on Him alone. God. Jehovah. ahweh. Creator. Love. My journey has to involve more quiet time; not just to read a scripture and a devotional from a book, but to be quiet and feel who God is. Who is He to you? Do you know? Really? Ask me the same question and I have a difficult time answering. I know God made the world, sent His Son, and gave me a future of hope. But, those are “church” answers. When it comes to answering who God is to me in real-life terms, sometimes I stumble. I falter and fail. I’m sometimes just not sure.

After almost 60 years in church, it’s hard for me to come up with answers that aren’t taught in books written by theologians with far more degrees than me. Even though I’m a journalist and author, that can be my worst fault sometimes…I read too much and tend to take someone else’s opinion to heart without testing it against the Scriptures. That’s what I’m going to be working on this season. Discovering who God really is to me. On my journey. I challenge you today to really concentrate on who God is in your life. In your family. In your world. In your job, school, community. Test your thoughts against the Bible and not against friends, Sunday School teachers, church leaders, and family members. Who is God to you. Then we can continue our journey through Lent toward the Resurrection of our Christ.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift.

Lent Day 1 - Ash Wednesday March 9

2011-03-29T18:41:00.002-04:00

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that whoever believes on Him will not die for eternity, but have everlasting life." (John 3:16)

As we begin to prepare out hearts for the Resurrection of Jesus, I find the easiest spot to begin is at the beginning. And that beginning is Love. God. Loved. Us. More. Than. Imaginable. To draw closer to Him, we have to put aside ourselves and let this Love fill our bodies, souls, mind, every fiber of our being. In my experience, this is sometimes easier said than done. There is a whole lot of Jimmy to get (and keep) out of the way before God can take complete occupancy. And, this same Jimmy, can be pretty selfish about "his space." As I look at the love-gift of God, Jesus, I know I do not deserve it. Never can, never will, yet God still gave it. That's the beauty of grace which we'll chat about during the next 40 days. For now, on day one, I encourage you to just focus on this one truth. God loves you. Don't worry about your warts, poor grades, lack of a job, stupid mistakes you make...that's all overshadowed by those three words. God. Loves. You. Don't let the term Ash Wednesday scare you away. For those of you (including myself), who may choose to attend a service where ashes are applied to the forehead, it is simply a sign of humility before God. Ash Wednesday is a day of reflection on what needs to change in our lives if we are to be fully Christian. It begins my journey to be a more effective Christian by Easter Sunday. Don't forget to remind yourself today. God Loves You. Thanks be to God for His unspeakable gift.

The Legacy

2011-02-24T13:05:00.001-05:00

I have come to the age where I run into old friends more at funerals than at weddings. We gather together and remember the days behind us when we were younger and could stay awake past 10 p.m., could drink coffee without having heart flutters into the wee hours, and eat all we wanted without becoming swimsuit challenged. Heck, in those days, we didn’t even mind appearing in a swimsuit in a public place.

We sit in services and think of these dear Christian people who tried to pass along their thoughts and guidance to us as we grew into adulthood. Their lessons are not hard, nor are they new; but, they always bear repeating and hearing over and over. One such lesson was recently learned at the funeral service of a long-time member of our church whose Christian walk was well-known and spoken of often.

Her lesson was the subject of her final service; “Stay strong, smile, and laugh as much as you can.” This was an overall theme for her life as she had dealt with much adversity.

“Stay strong” – how can any of us survive in a world filled with crime, hate, intolerance, evil intent, and corruption? Scriptures tell us to “be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid. God will give you the strength and help you need.” (Chronicles and Isaiah). When you face those times at school or work when you are asked to compromise your beliefs or values, when you are being tempted into activities you know to be inappropriate for a follower of Christ, stay strong. When those around you are provoking you to anger, stay strong. When the clouds of doubt and fear gather around you, stay strong. It is a promise of God that he, and he alone, will give you help, strength, and courage.

“Smile, and laugh as much as you can” – the Scriptures also tell us that “a merry heart does you good, even better than a medicine.” No matter how many rocks and arrows are hurled at us, the underlying joy of God’s presence will always be with us. No, I don’t mean that the tough days won’t come when the last thing you feel is joy and certainly don’t feel like smiling. They will still hit us. But, I am saying that having God’s joy way down deep in our heart will help us survive and give us hope.

What a great legacy this lady left to her family and to her friends. Did she plan this ahead of time? Did she sit down when in her 20’s and think of the legacy to leave behind? I doubt it. It’s just how she lived.

What will my legacy, or your legacy, be when future generations look back? Will it be one of selfish living and living strictly in the moment for what feels good to you? Or, will it be one of kindness to other and doing good for those in need without making sure your name is publicized about it? Will it be a life of complaining and seeing the events around as only how they affect you? Or, will it be a life where you make each day a pleasure for others to be around you?

It’s not impossible to plan our legacy years ahead of time. If you live the life which God wants you to live, then you’ll have the richest legacy of all. Stay strong, smile, and laugh as much as you can. God bless you, Mrs. McCranie.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

A flying monkey makes a cool present

2011-01-24T09:25:00.001-05:00

True to form, I didn’t make it all the way through Christmas day without having one of my presents taken away from me. You’d think that I would have learned better when I was, oh...say...12 or something, but, nope.

I got great presents this year from family and friends, and I don’t mean to disparage any of their generosity, however, in my family, the coolest and most fun gifts usually come in our stockings. MY family doesn’t give the usual oranges, walnuts, and the $5 fast food certificates in our stockings. We get office supplies, bookmarks, plastic animals, and unknown things that are squishy and beep, hiss, warble, and grunt.

For example, a couple years ago, my mom got a little plastic zebra in her stocking. She had been to Noah’s Ark and fell in love with Evidence to the point where she really wanted a zebra to pat and talk to for her very own. Well, since I’m sure the City of McDonough has some type of zoning ordinance against exotic, wild game being kept in senior adult communities, Santa got her a small plastic zebra for her stocking that year. You’d think it was the real thing. It still stands on the table by her chair and she tells it “good morning” and “good night.” That same year, and every year since, my brother wanted either a monkey or a gun. Knowing the propensity he has for not knowing boundaries, Santa wisely chose a plastic monkey for his stocking. And, there it still sits on the table by his chair...sometimes wandering over to visit the zebra. Really. This is my family.

One more tidbit of background will tell why my family has some type of weird fixation on wildlife, and especially monkeys. I grew up in the area of Grant Park in East Atlanta. It was a very Cleaver-ish neighborhood back in the 1950’s where we kids played outside more than inside, and enjoyed the inexpensive games like Rock School, Swing Statue, and Freeze Tag. However, one nice sunny day, our play was interrupted by a disturbance in the trees above. We looked up and (even more exciting than some alien spaceship), we saw a monkey jumping around in our tree. A real live monkey, escaped from the zoo, was in our backyard! Unfortunately, the zoo people came and took our monkey away, but we’ve all had a desire for another monkey ever since.

So, this year, what to my delight did I find on Christmas morning when I reached into my stocking? A monkey with a cape. How cool is that? You could put two fingers into little sleeves on his front paws, pull back on his tail and back legs, let go, and whoosh! Monkey would sail across the room, howling monkey sounds as it crashed into a wall, the floor, or anyone in the way. My mind began to whir with the possibilities of my flying monkey. The only mistake I made was sharing these possibilities.

“Hey, wouldn’t it be cool to let the monkey fly down from the balcony during church next Sunday?” “I wonder if I could sail it from the Courthouse toward the Square and see how many people scream and run?” Then, my biggest mistake.

It had just begun to snow and my mom went out on the back deck to look and take some pictures. Unfortunately for all concerned, it was after dark, and our backyard is all woods. Monkey decided to take a flight out of the kitchen door and crash into the brick pillar right by mom’s head and let loose with that howler monkey sound.

About the same time, my mom let loose with her imitation of a howler monkey,ß∑ which quickly turned to the angry mother sound as she scooped up my flying monkey and headed back into the house. Somehow, it seemed a whole lot funnier before it happened. Nor was it funny when she sailed monkey back out the door later in the night and I almost jumped off the deck.

Gosh, I love my flying howler monkey, but most of all I love my mom for giving it to me and for understanding that sometimes her eldest son just has to play with his toys at her expense. For an 80-something-year-old lady, she sure can hop high, though!

Jimmy Cochran is a resident of McDonough, Co-editor of the Times, author, musician, Minister, and all-around cool guy.

(Published originally in The Henry County Times newspaper, McDonough, GA)

Keeping both hands on the wheel

2011-01-22T17:43:00.002-05:00

I freely admit that I’m not the world’s best driver. I do manage to stop at all the stop signs, traffic lights, wear my seat belt, and give gap/take gap on the McDonough Square; it’s just that my tendency to multi-task during driving sometimes leads to problems. For example, this past weekend, I was driving through town on the way to eat lunch and was trying to get a pair of sunglasses on, while taking off another pair, get the radio on the right CD, and taking a sip from my glass of tea. No problem, my knees were on the steering wheel and my eyes were sorta on the road. My driving companion was screeching most of the time about keeping hands on the wheel, eyes on the road, etc., until I could get to a place to stop and get everything done. Finally, the statement came flying out of their mouth that it’s no good to have your eyes on the road if your hands aren’t on the wheel.

That made me stop and think for a bit. Not about the driving concept, but about the living concept.

God gives us a road map of how we should live. It’s called the Bible. In it are the instructions given to us by God through men and women of faith in the form of parables, law and commandments, letters of encouragement and instruction, and the descriptions of our final destination. Many people will complain that it is hard to read and understand this book: however, most road maps are also difficult to read and see the clearest path and straightest route to your goal. Other people will say they don’t believe the book; yet from what I’ve experienced, it is also hard to trust many GPS units and maps that are too simplified for the area. And, as an adult male, there are times I think I can ignore the guidance of the Bible, just as I feel I can sometimes ignore a road map. When this happens, I always end up lost, frustrated, and in a mess. I don’t mean to be flippant or off-hand about the importance of the Bible, because it is the Word of God, yet I feel that it can be used as simply as a road map to guide our way.

I’ve been a believer most of my life and have tried to use the Bible as my guide to daily living. Yet, there have been times when I have taken my eyes off the road ahead and tried to go my way with only my hands on the wheel. Or, with only one hand. Or, maybe neither hand, and steer with my knees. At any rate, my ability to function was seriously compromised. In the Bible, God asks us to believe in Him and in His plan for our life. If we do this, we will learn about His Love and how to love others. If we do this, then we will begin to treat others with love and respect, putting aside the lies and manipulations and hypocrisies that seem to run rampant in our culture.

I take a great chance of harming myself and others on the road every time that I do not put 100 percent into my driving. It takes keeping my eyes on the road and both hands on the wheel. We all take a great chance when we don’t keep our eyes on God…and our hands (and feet) on doing what He asks and going where he wants us to go. If the Bible isn’t a part of your daily pattern, try starting out by reading a chapter a day, or at least once a week. Begin with the book of John, then Philippians. You can also read a Psalm a day. Start a new year with a new map for your life and keep your eyes on God.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

Ninnies, Nerds, or the Amighty God

2010-10-31T15:24:00.001-04:00

It has been said that we are known by the company we keep. The most influential forces on us are from our family and friends, so that we can truly be considered a product of all those we have met. This is the cause for one more step in the simplifying of my life process.
If you are a true Facebook user, you know that at some point your friends list can get totally out of hand. This happens when we accept too many “please be my friend” requests from people we know, people we know of, and people we don’t even know that are suggested based on our other friends. Without thinking about it, it’s easy to end up with hundreds and (even) thousands of friends. As these friends on your list grow and multiply, you find yourself sending birthday greetings to people you don’t really care about, responding to updates that normally would not interest you, and being drawn into chats with people who didn’t care about you in high school, but seem to love you dearly now.
It shocked me several weeks ago to realize I had a little over a thousand people on my friends list. Not that I’m not charming enough to have so many friends, but as I scrolled through the names, noticing how many I haven’t had any contact with for months, I decided (in the Facebook vernacular) to defriend many of them. I’m down to the 400’s now, which is still more friends than I need, but, I’m still working on it.
This can also apply to my Christian walk. I am a product of all the preachers, Sunday school teachers, music directors, and Christian friends that I have ever met. At times, I have taken their thoughts and theological opinions as my own without giving it a second thought. Just as in high school, I believed this way because the cool kids believed this way. Or, I believed this way because the cool preacher taught this way. Or, I’d get involved in this project because it is what seemed expected of me. After many years of this behavior, I found my Christianity becoming a huge point of stress.
As I began the process several months ago of intentionally simplifying my life, this was an area I needed to address. The stress level was so high at times, that I lost a lot of my connection with God. On Sundays especially. I spent a lot of time in thought, in prayer, and in talking to trusted friends about what to do and came up with my plan of action. So far, it is working….. slowly….but, working. I’m regaining my focus and the stress levels continue to drop. I am better about listening to people and accepting their words as God’s words. I try to remember what God wants of me as a person, as a disciple, and stick to His plan; not the plans of others. I’ve tried to narrow down those with whom I associate to those that have a true Christianity of love, joy, and peace. They aren’t the ninnies and nerds that I used to congregate around. I try to do my own reading of Scriptures and sound writers. And, as I said before, it is working. My world is becoming a little calmer, a little more peaceful, a little more God-like.
So, let me encourage you today to think about whom you listen to. Ninnies, nerds, or the Almighty God.
And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

Making a Difference

2010-10-31T15:13:00.001-04:00

When I was a teenager, there was a lovely place on earth inhabited by wonderful people. This place was called Second Avenue Baptist Church. This church was truly more than bricks, stones, and mortar; more than sheetrock, paint, and ceiling tiles; more than parking lots and picnic grounds. It was a place of safety and refuge for the group of teenagers whom I counted as my friends and (on occasion) companions in pranks and mischief. During the turbulence of the 1960’s, Second Avenue was a place where we students could gather and find a sense of order and purpose when the world outside was telling us that we should be “making love, not war” and encouraging us to “turn on to drugs and turn off to authority” of family and adults.
We would gather several times a week with two married couples who were the leaders of our merry little group and we fell in love with them. They never hesitated to open their houses to us, day or night; always provided fun, food, games, and trips; listened to our teenage angst and mediated our little squabbles; and, most importantly, they showed us God. They taught us of God through Bible study settings, but most importantly, they taught us through the way they lived. My youth group was the most important factor in my life and I cherish those days and memories more than anything else. However, the winds of change began to blow and we began to graduate and leave for colleges and jobs. Then the day came when the world of Second Avenue Church ceased to be. The church building closed and our wonderful world was gone.
The things I learned through the love and care of these adults showed me that God had a special plan for my life. It was on the top of a mountain in northern Alabama where our youth group had spend a Sunday in outdoor fellowship and worship, that I first felt God’s calling in my life in my senior year.
Since that time, I have been blessed to serve on church staffs, as well as to be a chaperone and volunteer leader in youth ministry. The driving force behind my call has always been to be an example to the kids, teach them of God, and (hopefully) have a lot of fun with them along the way. I recently ran into one of my former “kids” who is now out of college and working. We talked for awhile about those days, the temptations he faced, all the late night instant messaging sessions we had about his walk with God, and, of course, all the fun. As our conversation ended, he turned to leave and said back to me, “Thanks, Mr. Jimmy, for always being there for all of us. We know how awful we were at times, but you always stuck by us. That means a lot.”
Folks, that one comment meant everything to me. I realized that maybe for one brief moment in time, I had made a difference in someone’s life, just as the adults had made in our group when I was a student. I realized that all the camping pranks, water battles, wrestling matches, and stomach punches actually meant, “I love you and am glad that you are in my life. You are making a difference.”
As I drove away, the tears flowed down my cheeks as I remembered those good days and looked forward to the many people “my kids” will impact as they grow. No matter who you are, or where you go to church, you can make a difference in someone’s life. Without even realizing it, people are watching us and we are teaching them about God.
And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

Even Meerkats Need A Place To Belong

2010-10-31T15:09:00.002-04:00

It is a good thing to belong. To a gym, to a book club, to one of those cult bunco groups, to a special interest group (like the Save the Meerkat Foundation which keeps them from being made into the warm meerkat stoles and accessories) or to just belong to an office that is like a family. To belong to a group where you can be open and honest, angry and snarky, laugh, cry, make an idiot of yourself and generally embarrass you and your group in public. It seems that most of my life I have been a part of some type of group that tended to the latter. In high school, I was a band nerd….’nuff said, even though band nerds can have quite a raucous time when left to their own devices.
In college at Georgia Southern, I was a Greek, which led to many hours of mindless and fun adventures. One of my friends dated a girl at UNC-Chapel Hill and would often take a couple of us guys along with him for a weekend trip and would get blind dates for us. I was the lucky guy on one such trip to get the real blind date…as in no vision…. as in can’t see a lick. And to make the weekend more fun, we all went to see “The Poseidon Adventure”, the one movie with virtually no dialogue, so I kept trying to explain to my date that a boat had turned upside down and they were trying to get out. For two hours, I explained this.
Now, I belong to a group fondly called the “Monday Night Supper Club”. The odd thing is that right now we rarely meet on Monday nights, but whenever our various work schedules will allow. However loose our meeting times may be, we are always guaranteed to have a couple hours of leaving the world outside and just enjoy the company of each other. We talk about books read, of songs heard, of friends and family. We complain about jobs, engage in some degree of good juicy gossip and talk about days ahead with aging parents, our own aging bodies and then go off in whoops of laughter because we know that growing up is inevitable. We share good news and sad news; we laugh and sometimes cry with each other. We know each other well because, well, we have the unspoken rule that we let our guards down and just be ourselves at the “supper club.”
As I began with, we all have an innate need to belong somewhere that we are accepted as just us - warts and all. My supper club group may not always be in existence, my college buddies have their own lives now, my other assortment of quirky friends may be in and out of my life, however the one constant group to which I belong is the family of God. He has seen me through days of growing up and seemingly staying in trouble at school or at home. God has led me through the tragedies of having my dad pass away, of losing my best friend to a car wreck and having the best dog in the world, Murphy, to die after 15 years in my life. God has rejoiced with me as I accepted His Son as my Lord and Savior, as I worked in ministry as a profession and as a volunteer then as I began to write columns about my walk with Him, publishing my first book and ultimately leading to my job here at the Times.
By belonging to God, we are guaranteed a guide, a comforter and a friend who will never leave you in need. We are promised that there are physical people around us who can support us when we need it and have a blast with when we need that. God’s group is the best one to join if you can just let go and give Him the chance.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

Simplifying - the journey begins

2010-09-06T20:19:00.003-04:00

After my last column about simplifying my life, quite a number of folks have mentioned that they could use the same thing and were interested in how it was going for me. In some ways, the process is going quite well; in other ways, not so much. For those who have shown interest, I thought I would give some ideas on the steps I’m following and the progression thus far.

Tip #1. If you want to make your lifestyle simpler, then you have to go back to the basics. For me, and for other believers, that is to remember where you started. Remember the (mistakenly labeled) children’s song: “Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, I am weak, but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so.” Then there is also the scripture verse found in John that says, “God loves the world so much that He sent His only Son so that everyone who believes in Him will not die for eternity, but live forever in heaven.”

For me, the following sums up my beginning….the basics for Jimmy. “Love God, love others, and let your actions show it.” In my personal walk, I had gotten away from these basics and cluttered my mind with the writings and thoughts of so many different people. I do not mean to imply that these writers and speakers are not sound in their thoughts, because many are, however; I tended to forget what they expressed were their thoughts, opinions, and ideas. I would measure my personal feelings against these people and find myself at odds, then questioning, all the while forgetting about reading from the source of sound doctrine – The Holy Bible.

I also had become indoctrinated by what the world expects in a church instead of what Christ may want from a church. Does He want arguments between believers about drums and electric guitars? Hymns or contemporary praise songs? Organs or keyboard synthesizers? Pews or comfy theater chairs? My personal avenue of worship is music. I have been a church pianist/keyboardist for over 40 years and have seen many changes and many arguments. Folks, simply put, God doesn’t care how His word is spread just as long as it is spread. Keep Him in the center of your worship style, and all is cool. If you aren’t comfortable with it, then find somewhere that you are able to worship. Don’t get in a personal mess about it.

As I began to realize that my life and walk with God was seemingly out of kazzip, and I knew that I had to slow it all down, my first step was to find my basics. How am I doing it? Enjoying morning time on the deck with a cup of coffee watching the birds and other critters. Leaving the television off, listening to more music, and reading my Bible and personal study books (along with the Stephanie Plum novels). Talking to God more during the day and asking Him for a calming and renewal of my spirit. And to be make a more concerted effort to do the above, “love God, love others, and to let my actions show it.”

My journey continues, but it is working for me. I encourage each of you to look for your basics and use that as a startin
g point. Just take a few minutes during the day to relax, breathe, and enjoy the day.
And for today my friends, this is the gospel according to Jimmy.

Plainly speaking

2010-08-12T10:34:00.001-04:00

I have always enjoyed genealogy and have done much research on my particular family line. One line is traced back to 1710, when the Herr family came to America from the Germany/Switzerland area. Their house built in Lancaster County, PA, is still standing as originally built for Hans Herr, a Mennonite Pastor, who was born near Zurich in 1639. For several generations, my family was of the Mennonite faith and eventually progressed to the Brethren Church by the early 1900s. Now we are of a more mainstream Protestant faith, the lifestyle and teachings of the Plain people have always fascinated me. How could people live so simply and content in 2010 without the use of so many modern conveniences? Is there a way for me (all of us) to live more Plain, more simply, than we do?

I live with a Blackberry in one hand, a remote control in the other; a Bluetooth sits one ear and an earbud to my iPod in the other. One of my eyes is glued to a television while the other eye is on a computer screen. There is a book that shares my lap with a laptop computer and the glare from all the lamps in the room gives me a headache as I take more pharmaceuticals to ease the pain, calm the nerves, and help to sleep. As I drive down the road, I must have music blasting from all speakers, a beverage in the cup holder and something to munch on while I steer with one knee and the remaining hand. At traffic lights, I’m changing CD tracks, scribbling notes in a notebook, even glancing at the next chapter in the open book sitting in the seat next to me. Is this a Plain and simple life? Did you hear much mention about God in there? Nope….you didn’t. I think this is the problem for many of us…..we get too caught up in the trappings of modern society and forget about the quiet voice of God trying to speak to us.

The Plain lifestyle begins with a time of quiet devotion and prayer before leaving the bedroom and beginning the day. How many of us bound from bed, racing through the house as we find ourselves already running late? Did we even stop to say “thanks” to God for allowing us to wake up to a new day that He created for us? Even five minutes of some quiet time would be a good start to a calmer morning. Even though many of the Plain orders do have electricity and some modern conveniences, they are never used to excess and never to take the place of human interaction. They don’t use an iPod to avoid talking to family, a televisions to tune out the kids, or texting instead of making a phone call.

One important element of the Plain lifestyle is the family. Extended families live together, eat together, play games together in the evenings (instead of gluing themselves to televisions or computers in various rooms), and actually have conversations with each other. When not working, they spent free time helping neighbors with their buildings, agriculture, quilting, and other projects. Their communities gather for games and food at homes where all ages are welcomed. At the end of day, the family had a time of devotion together before retiring for the evening.

Perhaps, modern society could benefit from their ways. Have quiet time each day with God, spend quality time with family and friends, don’t rush everywhere we go, lend a helping hand to those in need. In other words, simplify things in our day and take more time to breathe and enjoy God’s creation.

And for today my friends, this is the gospel according to Jimmy…..Plainly spoken.

Aging Gracefully? Not me!

2010-07-14T12:06:00.002-04:00

I have always admired those who age gracefully. We all know them; the sweet little older ladies who totter around the streets greeting everyone with a smile and a “good morning,” even though they don’t remember who you are. When you sit and chat with them, they might drift to a different subject in midsentence, but aren’t they sweet? Then there are the gentlemen who limp along and don’t mind telling you about their bad back, their sciatica, their cataracts, their most recent procedures, but, “that’s just the way it is when you get older,” they say. “It’s better than the alternative.” These wonderful people will certainly state their opinions about, well, everything, and not really care about your thoughts (because they don’t really remember who you are). Isn’t that a good way to be? One of my life heroines, Julia Sugarbaker, is often quoted that “here in the South, we love our old people. We don’t lock them inside or put them in homes; we put them out on the front porch and call them eccentric.” Gracefully aging people, accepting it and relishing the years they’ve spent here on earth.

Not me. I’m being dragged, kicking and screaming, into those years with absolutely no grace at all. As my family will quickly tell you, I whine at every joint ache, “Ach, no! That can’t be arthritis! Why does it hurt so badly? When does it quit?” I can’t imagine how these lovely and graceful people jump out of bed early in the mornings looking forward to the day, when it takes me at least thirty minutes to convince myself I am even alive. And that early morning bit? I don’t think so. And don’t even get me started on those tests and procedures you have to start getting. If the pioneers didn’t have to get those things done, then why should we?

Everyone is familiar with the scripture passage in Ecclesiastes that tells us, “There is a right time to be born and another to die….a right time to hold on and another to let go….whatever was, is; and whatever will be, is. That’s the way of God.” God created me to be here on this earth for a right time and to accomplish things that are for His purpose. The methods of that purpose may change, but the purpose remains the same. In basic terms, that purpose is to love God and love people.

I may not be able to crawl around on the floor with children during their playtime, but I can sit in the chair with my guitar, sing songs and tell them stories. I may not be able to shoot down the class IV rapids with teenagers like I once did, but I can certainly stay at their campsite and plan the pranks for that night. Even though I can’t run the bases like I once did, I can admit my age and play on ball teams for “older folks” where nobody can run fast. Or get up as quickly when they fall over a base (Jimmy).

God created us. He created the aging process, but it is up to us how we handle our aging in connection with our purpose. Just because I ache more, groan more, and make the noises like an old man when I stand up, I still love God and love people. It’s up to me to not give up and figure out how to best do it. God doesn’t give out pink slips and you can never retire from His plan for you. It is always the right time for whatever age you might be.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

Clowns in prison

2010-06-12T13:40:00.003-04:00

I have learned a few valuable lessons in life; don’t try to teach pigs to dance, don’t mess with any women’s missionary organizations, and…..don’t ever go into a men’s prison as a clown. Especially when you are wearing turquoise capri pants, red and white striped socks, a bright blue wig, and long blue glittery eyelashes.

When I was in college and new in the ministry, I heard a sermon based upon St. Paul’s teaching that we should “become all things to all people so that by some means some might learn of Jesus.” At the time I was studying to enter the church recreation ministry which was in the days before Upward programs and almost no church gyms or ball fields around metro Atlanta. Our challenge as Christian recreation ministers was to come up with ways to meet the leisure time needs of people both within and outside the church. In the first church where I served, we put a huge emphasis on the community and providing programs for them whether or not they ever attended an “official” Sunday service. Our sole aim was to love the neighborhood and teach them that God loves them, too. And, it worked.

Well, at some point in this, I was asked to help with a worship service at the Federal Penitentiary in Atlanta. So, I threw my guitar in the back of the car, met several other guys at McDonalds and planned it all out. It was without a doubt one of the most meaningful times of my life. Meeting the inmates who wanted to come (and were brave enough to come), hearing them share of their lives and walk with God under these dire circumstances, seeing a small stained glass window in the chapel with prison bars behind, all showed me that this is what the church should be doing in today’s world.

Shifting forward a number of years, I underwent training into the “clown world” where I learned all the techniques of make-up, illusions, costumes, and how to fit 28 of us into a tiny car. My thinking was it would help me in my quest to become “all things to all people” and provide many avenues for sharing God. It did. Our merry little Christian Clown troupe went to nursing homes, hospitals, children’s hospitals and, yes, to several women’s prisons around the south Metro area. We even travelled to St. Simons, New York City, and Washington D.C. to spread out little red balloons of God’s Love to people.

Then, one day I remembered the days of my Federal Prison services and wondered how the men would react to clowns. So, I contacted a local County prison and asked if we could do a program for the men. They agreed, however, none of our women clowns were allowed and that left me and the other man clown…..a 70 year-old-cowboy clown who was always up for adventure. Without going into a lot of details in print, we were well received by the prisoners, but not for the reason we were there. There is a possibility that someone heard the story of God, but it might have been during my prayers to please get home safely with my blue eyelashes intact.

Where is all this leading? There are many opportunities around to be a witness and become “all things to all people.” You can be a friend to the friendless at A Friend’s House or the Haven House. You can volunteer at Helping in His Name. You can spend a day helping The Fuller Center – Project McDonough. Just go share your God wherever you can…..just be careful of the wigs and eyelashes you wear.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

The sermon hit close to home today

2010-04-12T00:02:00.002-04:00

The street was full of police cars, EMT’s, and fire trucks as I left for church this morning about 7:30 a.m. As I drove past the house, I also noticed a cordon of police “crime scene” tape had been run around the front and sides of the house, including the driveway and cars. Living in a community for senior adults, you do see the occasional paramedic parked in a driveway due to some illness, fall, or other age-related thing….but, this was way different. And I felt it in my soul. Later in the day, the emergency vehicles were gone, the tape had been removed, and the house stood empty and abandoned from the hubbub of the morning.

I heard in a few minutes that our neighbor had committed suicide on his back porch sometime early in the morning hours on Sunday. One of our neighbors. An elderly neighbor. This was the man I saw walking a lot and would always wave. He spent a lot of time sitting in another guy’s garage passing the time of day and playing with the dog. Again, always waving when I drove past or walked along the sidewalk. I never knew his name, just his face and his pleasant demeanor. Just two days ago, he was waving as I drove home from the store.

His wife passed away a few years ago, so he had been alone for some time, however, he didn’t appear to be depressed or despondent after this season of time. I mean, he was outside a lot and spoke to everyone in the community. Aren’t suicidal people supposed to sit inside all the time in the dark and cry as they ate their pitiful meals? Aren’t they supposed to shun all attempts at social interaction and rarely smile? What was going on with my neighbor? And why would older people think of suicide? Shouldn’t they have it all together?

Our Pastor spoke this morning about our “God’s network” of people. Those we come in contact with in our homes, schools, jobs, stores, and neighborhoods. He urged us in a very clear way to get involved with other where they are…wherever…. This would then lead to a relationship that can help us to introduce them to Jesus. Did my neighbor know Jesus? I don’t know. We make the assumptions that all senior adults are Christian, but that’s a terribly incorrect assumption. I never took the time to stop and chat…just drove past and waved. I enjoyed seeing him and his friend spending all the time in their garage easy chairs and envied their friendship and relaxed lifestyle. Little do we know.
I can’t seem to get my mind off the events of the day. I realized that the old saying “there but for the grace of God, go I.” Do I spend the time with my “networks” to know if there are needs that Jesus can meet? Do I spend the time with my “networks” to know if there are needs that I can meet? I don’t know, but I can feel sure that I will be working on this in coming days. At least as far as my life is concerned, my neighbor’s death will not be in vain.

So, tonight the house is empty and dark. His car is locked in the garage and there is a wreath on the front door. The neighborhood is in shock. I pray for the little lady who opened her breakfast room blinds this morning and found what had happened next door. I pray for the little man and his dog that now has no one to sit with in his garage. For me, I’ll be getting out of the gym and walking along the sidewalk, stopping by to pat the dog, and say “hi” to him more often. I pray for all of us to get to know those in our “God’s Network” and reach out to them in the name of God.

And for today my friends, this is the gospel according to Jimmy. Sadly.

Is God a rumor?

2010-03-18T20:25:00.002-04:00

What is it about God that makes it easy for some to believe…and others to not believe? What is it about the modern church that makes people want to go….or not? What is it about talking of our faith that makes some people eager….and others queasy? Simply put, why do some people have a personal relationship with God and others think they don’t need it?

A long, long time ago in a country far, far away, there lived a man and his family who had it made. Wealth, land, family, camels, tents, fig trees, all the things that put a person in the upper class of the day. He probably had a couple private oasis spots for his pleasure and plenty of grapes and fruit to enjoy. All this, plus the fact that he was a good man. A real good man. In fact, he was so good that even God bragged about him to Satan. So began the biggest challenge of history. Satan wanted Job as his own, however, God was sure that Job wouldn’t turn his back and join the evil empire. As the challenge unfolded, well, if you haven’t heard the whole story, you’ll enjoy reading it for yourself to see who wins.

This particular story took place during the time of the Old Testament (which means many thousands of years ago); however, the same story unfolds every day here in Henry County and around our entire world. Many of the same things that Satan threw Job’s way are much like what we face today; loss of income, loss of family and loved ones, loss of health, loss of homes, loss of friends, etc. The list continues in Job’s story as well as in our own lives. One of the most dramatic parts of Job’s story is when his wife turns to him and, after recounting all their losses and problems, urges Job to, “Curse God and die.” Have you ever been that desperate? Is it God’s fault that the economy is so screwed up and we can lose our jobs and homes at a moment’s notice? Nope, I believe that He hurts for us when He sees the mess that mankind has made of His world and society. God created a world where we have free will to go and do as we wish without His pulling any type of strings, so these things just happen. Diseases, deaths, loss, pain, hunger, all these are a part of our world. They may be because of bad choices, or they may that those things just happen….just happen.

Like Job, many of us have “head knowledge” of God, but not “heart knowledge.” We know about God and have heard of Him, but we don’t really know how He works in our lives. In all that happened to Job (and happens to us), God promises to never leave us or to forsake us. He may not remove the circumstances of life from us, but He will help us get through them.

After Job went through a time of nightmare situations, God finally answered his pleas to meet face to face and Job finally realized who God really was with his heart, not just his head. He tells God at the end of the book, “I admit that I once lived by rumors of you, now I know about it firsthand – from my own eyes and ears!” Hopefully, we all know God because we’ve seen Him with our ears and eyes……not just lived by rumors.

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

All about me

2010-03-18T10:20:00.006-04:00

Here's a new list of the top 25 things you probably never knew about me....nor cared to know.....

1. I enjoy bird watching and learning the migration patterns here in McDonough.

2. The older I get, I have less tolerance for stupid people.

3. The older I get, I cherish the true friendships I have even more.

4. I've gotten one more tattoo.

5. If I could start all over again, I'd like to live in New York City and be a bohemian creative person.

6. I have little tolerance for church denominational structures because they create such political atmospheres.

7. I'd like to teach the world to sing......and not care about the perfect harmony......just sing.

8. I love live theatre, especially community theatre groups.

9. I've actually joined a gym and try to go there regularly.

10. I've got high blood pressure, high cholesterol, liver disease, and a borderline diabetic...but, basically a very happy person.

11. The mountains are my favorite place, except when I'm at the beach.

12. Ideally, I would love a house on the Maine coast, and in the Smokey Mountains, and on the Gulf Coast of Florida/Alabama.

13. If I were on death row, my favorite last meal would consist of pizza, steak, meatloaf, spaghetti, cajun chicken pasta, cheesecake, cream cheese brownies, and homemade pound cake.

14. Having a career as an undertaker has always been intriguing to me...and I might pursue it at some point. Or a lawyer.

15. People have always thought I should have had a career in music, but that's about the furthest thing to interest me. Music is my fun thing, my God thing.

16. Retirement is suiting me very well. A couple part-time jobs, doing what I enjoy, close to home, is a good thing.

17. I think I can sing better than some of these American Idol people. Or at least know that I can't carry a tune in a bucket and to stay home.

18. I don't have a favorite type of book or music; pretty much like all kinds and styles. However, I have enjoyed getting to know the modern day vampire and werewolves who are 'nice and friendly', vegetarian, marry, and have 'nice' children.

19. My shallow side enjoys watching tv shows like "Operation Repo", "Deadliest Catch", "Cops", and most all reality shows.

20. My cool side enjoys NCIS marathons, Bones marathons, Law and Order Marathons, Harry Potter marathons, and Lord of the Rings marathons.

21. I'm glad to be of Celtic origins and would like to meet the Celtic Woman and Celtic Thunder groups....and tour with them....especially the Celtic Woman. It would give me a chance to wear my kilt and polish up my bagpipe skills.

22. I'd love to spend the summer bicycling through Germany and Austria, sailing the Mediterranean, and lolling around a Tuscan village.

23. My greatest dream would be to be knighted by the Queen of England.

24. Being single is a pretty cool gig.

25. There's nothing better than sitting on the back deck on a spring morning having coffee and chatting with my mom.

Asleep at the keys

2010-03-09T22:37:00.003-05:00

My worst fears were realized this past Sunday at church. Well, I guess that would be my second worst fears since I did remember to wear pants, but it was still a traumatic happening. Bear in mind that I have been playing keyboards in church services for over forty years, so I guess this day was bound to come. My Sundays have always involved being up before daylight, trying to focus on hand/eye coordination before normal people have had their first cup of coffee, and being “on” for two or three services before lunch. This past week was no different.

During the first service, I had no problems. Our Pastor preached yet another message that stirred the heart and kept me awake flipping between scriptures and writing notes from his message. However, when it came time to close our eyes for the end of the service time of invitation, my brain seemed to like the “eyes closed” part and sent some signals out to the rest of my body that maybe it was time for a wee little snooze. “No, No,” I remarked to myself, “you’ve got another hour or so to go. Wake up and get back to the music at hand.” As the second service began, the snooze signals began to expand into “time for a full-fledged nap” alert. I kept biting the insides of my cheeks and pinching my legs during the music (not easy to do and looks quite strange to those watching, I’m sure), in an effort to wake up. “Okay, Jimmy. Just leave during the sermon, find something to drink, and walk around so you’ll wake up before time to play again.” Unfortunately, my stupid legs didn’t go along with it, so there I sat during the sermon…in the middle of the platform….in front of the entire congregation….with the entire choir behind me….still biting and pinching (you should see the bruises).

Finally, the closing time came and I began to play quietly as the Pastor extended a time of decision. The congregation had their eyes closed and heads bowed during prayer, as did I, yet mine was for a different reason. All of a sudden as I played (AS I PLAYED) with my head bowed and eyes closed, I fell asleep. My head fell forward like a two-ton weight and some strange snort came out of my mouth and nose that jerked me awake before I crashed into the keys creating some horrid chord. I was far too shocked to even imagine that anyone may be watching, so I put on the most spiritual face possible, finished the song, and raced to my getaway car.

My plans are now to buy a small coffee pot to keep behind the musicians area, to have an energy drinks in the insulated cup I used to bring water in, to NEVER close my eyes again during a prayer, and to not bite my cheeks anymore. I’ve been talking very strangely ever since. So, I’m hoping despite the time change this coming weekend and losing (yet) another hour of sleep, my luck is better for this Sunday. Hopefully God got a good chuckle out of this adventure and will give me a slight zap at the pertinent times.

On a side note for those of you keeping score….I bought two new fish this week, both are now dead. It seems that over that past month, I’m batting about seven for seven (sigh).

And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

2010-03-02T11:35:00.004-05:00

As my Lenten season continues, I thought I would share some verses with you that are an important part of my life. Naturally, there is not room to list all my "favorites," however the following have special meaning.

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Joshua 24:15: “Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve….as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

Deuteronomy 6:4-7: “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, The Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. These words that I command you shall be in your heart. You shall teach them to your children, and shall talk of them when you are in your house, when you walk in the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.”

Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.”

Psalm 46:1-3: “The Lord is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear.”

1 Peter 5:6-7: “Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you.”

Revelation 21:3-4: “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be His people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes; there shall be will be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There will be no more pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Micah 6:8: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?”

Jeremiah 29:11: “For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for evil; to give you a future and a hope.”

Isaiah: 41:10: “Fear not, for I am with you. Do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and I will help you. I will hold you in my righteous right hand.”

Isaiah: 43:2-3: “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, nor will the flames scorch you. I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes on Him will not perish, but have eternal life.”

Philippians 4:6: “Don’t worry about any, instead, pray about everything.”

2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is given by the inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete and thoroughly equipped for every good work.”

Romans 8:37: “In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loves us.”

All things being human.....

2010-02-25T10:05:00.004-05:00

Well, it's been a week since I began observing Lent by the giving up of unnecessary computer time...Facebook, games, etc., and giving that time to more Godly pursuits....study, service, etc. The week has been tough at times (especially late evenings) because that is my normal FB and gaming time. All things being human, I must confess that I slipped yesterday. I had to do some research for a library guest about the local Lion's Club which involved my logging into Facebook for the information. The computers in the libraries here are blocked from the social networking sites and the patron came to the Reference desk and asked for my help. I did so without hesitation because it was a part of my job and job-related issues were exempt from my observance. However....I failed to close the screen after I finished and my weakness of humanity took over and I was like a fiend as I browsed through everything on my profiles and walls. Folks, I couldn't stop and my clicking was almost insatiable.

After a few minutes, I realized my self-control was gone, my heart began to hurt, and I logged off my account. For the rest of the day, I was really hard on myself as I knew I had failed myself and my intent to give these things up for just 40-days....sheesh...just 40 days...and I barely lasted a week. However, as I pondered late last night, read more in the T.D. Jakes book, and thought over many scriptures, I realized that this whole thing was bigger than just the Lenten observance deal. My biggest problem during my 50+ years has been the difficulty to forgive myself. It came to mind that "for such a time as this," it was time that I learn to do so. Until I can learn to forgive my failings, how can I experience the joy of God's forgiveness toward me? How can I feel the true experience of grace, when I continue to beat myself up over the smallest things?

So, maybe this was a good lesson for early in my journey this season. I did forgive myself, asked God to keep my mind focused on Him and His work around me, and set out to begin again this morning. I share all this at the risk of being misunderstood....Facebook and computer stuff is not wrong or inherently evil. It is just something I have isolated in my life that has interfered with my time that could be given for growing in my walk with God. One of my goals during Lent is to learn the moderation and self-discipline I need.

Coming up.....a good friend has asked me to become involved in a program in downtown Atlanta for feeding and caring for the homeless. Where once I avoided this group like a plague, I now look forward to becoming involved in this ministry. Little steps for little feet, so to speak.

So, the second week begins with a renewed spirit and hope for the next few weeks of learning and growing. Stay tuned, I'm sure more adventures will follow. And for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

First Five Days of Lent

2010-02-21T22:37:00.005-05:00

Wow! When I made the decision to give up Facebook and other non-essential computer activities (games, mindless surfing, etc.) for the Lenten season, I never imagined what a difference the first few days would make. It's now been only five days and I've had an almost hourly struggle that is showing me what a true addict I am, plus how much more these technology gods perhaps mean to me that the one true Jehovah God.

I have spent more time reading good, sound Christian authors speaking about walking with God and how to grow in your own spirituality. I've begun to write more and my mind has begun to clear itself and leave room for me to hear God's direction in my writings. In church today, I realized all of a sudden that I was profoundly in tune to worship - music, preaching, fellowship....worshipping. It was an awesome realization. For those of you who "work" for the church (me as a musician), you realize that many times Sunday services become just another day of work. We can get buried in the details and leave out the reason we are there in the first place. Based on these first five days of my Lent project, I can safely say that I am REALLY looking forward to where this leads me and where I'll be come Easter Monday morning.

Part of this adventure will lead me to post more often here.....the place where I first discovered my joy and passion for writing. The place where I first met Vicki, Shannon, and so many other Christian bloggers who continue to impact my life with their stories and encouragement. It's good to be coming back home to the familiar.

In reading some writing by Rev. T.D. Jakes tonight, he spoke of letting go of those things that are gnawing at your heart; the things that will destroy you if you don't drop them. That will be part of the next few days for me...searching myself for these weasels and getting rid of them. Stay tuned, folks. It's going to be a fun ride.

And for today my friends, this is the gospel according to Jimmy.

Of Vacation, Magnolias, and Lent

2010-02-19T15:05:00.015-05:00

I just got back from a time of vacation. For those of you who regularly stalk me and my life stories, you know them as the Monday Night Supper Club people…or more familiarly, the Catwoman, the Techno-Geek, the Nurturer, and the Hiker (obviously, names have been changed). This week we had planned to go to Black Rock Mountain in north Georgia, however with the recent weather, the roads up to the park had become iced over, so we chose to travel south to the Magnolia Springs State Park near Millen. As it turned out, this was a double good thing since my alma mater, Georgia Southern University, was just a few miles down the road. The best thing during these weeks is the fact that no one has to do anything at all. The Hiker enjoys, well, hiking the trails; Cat Woman sits by the fire and crochets things; Nurturer takes care of us by making sure our glasses are kept full and the candy bowls on the coffee table are supplied; and the Geek compares the ringtones on everyone’s cell phones while listening an iPod and previewing videos from three camcorders. Me? I just sit around, watch them, and come up with stories to tell. We all enjoy each other’s company and the time to relax around good friends with whom we can be ourselves…no pretenses…warts and all.

The park is a gorgeous place and I enjoyed spending the time with friends, but also spending time with God during trail walking. I saw Him in the still lake across the street from our cottage; in the trails shaded by moss-laden trees; and in the stars so clearly visible in the evening time with no city lights to fade their brilliance. I heard God talking in the morning birds; the laughter of friends; and the crackle of the fireplace late at night as the day began to wind down. When the time came to head home, it was nice to get back to family, yet it was a hard thing to give up the relaxing and stress-free life enjoyed those few days.

One afternoon I drove over to Georgia Southern and revisited the campus where I became “Jimmy.” It was exciting to see the new buildings and growing campus where I lived for four of the best years of my life. It was comforting and nostalgic to see the familiar sites that I could identify readily with moments of making life decisions about careers, friendships, and maturing as a man and as a Christian. I saw the tree where I was sitting and felt God’s calling to enter a ministry-related field. The dorm front porch where I gathered with close friends on so many evenings and planned pranks and fun as well as the serious discussion that bonded us together forever. The cafeteria where the scary hippie-girl stood on the table, threw a roll at me, and screeched, “What are you looking at?!” The memories and friendships gained during that period shaped me, for better or worse, into whom I am now and I’m glad that they are a part of my heritage.

We, the Christian church, have entered a forty-day season known as Lent. It is a time when we are to withdraw from many worldly things and focus more on our spiritual lives as the Easter celebration approaches. For myself, I have chosen to give up unnecessary computer time and frivolous reading for the Lenten season. This means no Facebook, computer games, and unnecessary surfing....I'll keep with the essentials of email, writing, bill pay, etc., but that's it. My belief and practice during this season is to not just give up something, but to then replace it with more effective ways to serve God. More time in Bible Study, more time in reading good, sound Christian authors who can lead me in continuing growth as a Christian, more writing, giving more of myself to local organizations and people who need a helping hand in life. Not by giving money, but by giving of myself. This year's project is already showing me how out of whack my priorities have become, how addicted I am to stupid time-wasting things.... and what a blessing it is to feel my mind and heart being cleared of the unnecessary clutter.

A time of retreat, a time of reflection, a time of growth. It was good that I spent the beginning of this season with good Christian friends in a place separated from the world. It gave me strength to return home and try to leave some things behind (to give up) so that I can draw closer to my God. I hope you can find the time and place in your lives to retreat and grow during these coming weeks.

So for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy

You Are My All in All

2010-01-21T16:54:00.007-05:00

We have all been captivated these past two weeks with the pictures and videos from the country of Haiti. Devastated by an earthquake, the city of Port-au-Prince is essentially destroyed with the loss of lives numbering in the hundreds of thousands and the numbers continue to rise. It’s hard to watch the videos of children being pulled from rubble; the hands of adults reaching for a bottle of water; the bodies of the dead lying in the streets; and the cries of those who lost everything. Where is God, and why?

Only a few days later when relief efforts were beginning; citizens were receiving much needed medical assistance; temporary housing units were being built; another quake hits this island nation and creates more turmoil and death. Where is God, and why?

As a Christian and believer in Jehovah God, at times like this it pushes my limits to remember that God is in control of all things and that a loving God could allow this to happen. Yet, in the midst of the destruction of those first days, one sight appeared on the television that gave me pause to think. A group of Haitians gathered outside the rubble of a fallen building. Their eyes were full of tears, their clothes were dirty and torn, yet their hands and voices lifted high toward God. Singing in their native language, the melody of their song was familiar, so I went to one of my music books to find it. The title is “You Are My All in All” with the primary lyrics being,

“You are my strength when I am weak,
You are the treasure that I seek,
You are my all in all.
When I fall down You pick me up,
When I am dry You fill my cup,
You are my all in all.”

Here are people having survived one of the worst catastrophes ever, yet they are singing to God that He is their strength, their treasure. Here is a group having lost families, homes, churches, and schools, yet they know that their God will pick them up and restore them. Why are they singing and lifting their hands toward God? Why are they not asking where God is?

The reason is the most wonderful word….faith. They know their God is in control and trust Him with their homes and country. The apostle Paul wrote in his letter to the church at Corinth, “…we are afflicted, but not crushed down….struck down, but not destroyed.” This is our hope during those long nights of worry over a sick child, a lost relationship, financial stress, job loss, or just the problems of everyday living. God promises us that He is present in all our circumstances, however because we live in an ungodly world, bad things do happen. God did not cause the earthquake in Haiti; it was a force of nature. God was not punishing the people of that small country; it was just the time for those earthly plates to shift. God was there that morning and is still there crying over the loss and holding those precious people in His arms.

So for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

The bells of peace continue to ring

2009-12-29T16:34:00.006-05:00

We all have our favorite holiday television specials that we look forward to each year. Some like the Charlie Brown specials, others the classic movies, and still others enjoy the many musical programs. I fall into the latter category and may even miss my (almost) daily N.C.I.S. marathon viewing for a good Christmas music program. My favorite each year is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Special that blends traditional music with contemporary and always stirs my spirit with the massive choir and orchestra. This year was no different; however, one portion of the service captured my thoughts for the days since.

Actor Edward Herrmann told the story of how Henry Wadsworth Longfellow came to write the words we now know as “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” The story goes that the happy Longfellow family suffered tragedy during the early 1860s when a house fire claimed the life of his beloved wife, and then shortly thereafter, Longfellow received word that his son was seriously wounded in one of the early Civil War battles and not expected to live. With his country at war with itself, and the loss of two family members, Longfellow tried to cope with these tragedies by penning the words that so strongly described his despair and lack of hope.

“And in despair I bowed my head; “There is no peace on earth,” I said. “ For hate is strong and mocks the song of peace on earth good will to men.”

If Longfellow had stopped here, this work would never have become one of the favorites of Christmas and especially one about the hope of Christmas. Over time, he and his remaining family began to heal emotionally and spiritually. Longfellow recounts that several years later as they were out on a carriage ride in the snow, he heard the bells of town churches beginning to peal and he realized that the bells were still ringing out the news of hope, of peace, and that God is still in control.

“Then pealed the bells more loud and deep: “God is not dead, nor does He sleep; the wrong will fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth good will to men.”

Just as Longfellow, people around still suffer loss and tragedies that are magnified during the Christmas and New Year holiday season. Divorce, financial hardship, death, moving, loss of jobs, many things can affect our emotions that may lead to wondering where God may be during this time. They may need someone to help direct them back to the bells of hope and a future. We can all do this either as individuals or as groups. Say a kind word to those you pass in the store, stay off the car horn if someone is a bit slow in starting when the light changes, be more patient if a crying child is in the same restaurant with you; just be nice to other people. You can also volunteer with county agencies that help others. Henry County is fortunate to have so many organizations that help others where you can plug in. Connecting Henry, A Friend’s House, Haven House, Henry County Cancer Services, The Fuller Center for Housing, Henry County Life Management Solutions, and many more.

Let 2010 be the year we give hope to others. Let 2010 be the year we become more involved outside the walls of our homes and churches (Jesus did not sequester himself inside the walls of a synagogue). Let 2010 be the year we take care of others face to face, one by one.

So for today my friends, this has been the gospel according to Jimmy.

Even goats deserve a nice funeral

2009-12-13T23:15:00.005-05:00

Dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, fish…these tend to be the most commonly thought when asked about what pets you might have. Then there are those who have snakes and other reptiles, horses, and even cows for pets even though these are the type of pets I would want to curl up with on a winter night in front of a roaring fire. Nonetheless, whatever you may deem to be your pet, it is your pet and you mourn and grieve when they are gone. Most folks also engage in some type of farewell burial or service for their beloved animals. For instance, when one of my mom’s pet finches died, she was more than ready to put it in a zip-lock bag and hurl it out into the trees and privet at the back of our yard which borders Camp Creek. The horrors of her aim being a bit off and having a dead bird-in-a-bag hung up on a tree branch and twirling in the wind was more than my brother and I could imagine, so we talked her into a nice burial by the bird bath with a stone marker. Of course, mom already had her back-up plan ready in case birdie-in-a-bag landed in the tree. “Well, I’ll just get the BB gun and shoot at it until it falls into the privet,” was her quick reply. I sincerely doubt most folks have such discussions over their pets, but, you just need to know my family.
Recently, my friend the catwoman, was telling us of her uncle’s pet goat, Mitch (names have not been changed, since Mitch is dead and…..well, Mitch was a goat). Uncle Hemphill used to take Mitch to local schools and carnivals because all the boys and girls in that part of DeKalb County loved to see and pat Mitch the goat. However, mean neighbor lady didn’t care so much for the noise and smell of Mitch, so one dark day (Uncle Hemphill suspected), she slipped some poison to poor Mitch and he transitioned into goat heaven.
Uncle Hemphill and his brother, Eufort, were so distraught that they imbibed a bit too much of the spirits and became a wee bit too verklempt over poor Mitch. Actually, Uncles Hemphill and Eufort would use most any occasion to imbibe: waking up in the morning, lunches, any new phase of the moon, the arrival of the daily mail, get the drift? At least in the midst of their “happy grief,” they had the sense to not shoot the mean neighbor lady, so they dug a grave for Mitch and decided to give him a 21-shotgun salute. Yep, they fired those squirrel-hunting rifles into the air right in the DeKalb County neighborhood where Uncle Eufort lived. Mothers began grabbing kids from the yards; catwoman’s aunts grabbed them from the back porch while hollering at Uncle Hemphill and Uncle Eufort to quit shooting off those guns in the neighborhood because of a dead goat. Uncle Hemphill replied that “he’s my goat and he deserves a good send off.”
Personally, I think the 21-gun salute is better than spending all of eternity as a twirling dead bird-in-a-bag on the banks of Camp Creek, but who am I to know?

Jimmy Cochran lives in McDonough, works part-time at the Stockbridge Public Library and drank goat’s milk as a boy. This is why he was so touched by the story of Mitch the goat.