Here we are at the end of another year. Hard to believe that 2007 is gone and 2008 is beginning her push closer to completion of our first decade in the 2000’s. When I think about date years I reflect back to 1976 and the Bi-Centennial and 1977. April 1977 was the year of the big flood in my life time, and I’ve got a few other years that make my remembrance highlight list too.
2007 has been a year of memories. My niece Morgan Alexandra Mills won in the Kentucky State Fair back in August, winning showing her goats and chickens. I realize to some this will be funny but memories are memories and to watch her delight in being a part of this type of event is a joy. I am not fully sure but she so sweet and precious I believe she enjoyed showing at the fair and learning, more then the check she received for winning after the State Fair. I know I get it wrong but she also participated and placed like 7th in a National Show as well, and all I can say with a smile is she loves her chickens!
Another memory is finally getting the mountain behind the house cleaned and straightened up. Now this you might be laughing at too, but this project began, well let me just write it began back several years ago. It started with trimming a few trees, then removing a few trees, then cutting a lot of trees. Added to the memory I will include I began digging a ditch, then moving just a little dirt, and after additional considerations my father and I thought it best to just level things out a bit. We built up my brother front and back yard, filled in some low spots and still discovered ourselves moving more dirt because we were no longer just moving a little dirt and trees, but clearing off a whole mountain, and that’s no small feat with a Kubota Tractor. Yes, you should be smiling about now attempting to imagine what that looked liked. Personally, I’m laughing because it is a part of the memories of 2007.
Now 2008 is ringer the door bell and without delay she will arrive on time. What plans do you have as you consider this New Year? Each of us has many unfulfilled dreams and plans that we once held to and worked towards. Maybe the average person doesn’t get to excited one way or the other. The average person may sit back, just relaxing, getting in no rush for anything, waiting for everything to come to them. Choices made in life some will blame everything on because of those experiences, while maybe others will take another road that attempts to find more suitable answers or solutions.
2008 is here and you may be the type of person that is full of joy as you have completed various steps from 2007 and see light, or even new light or maybe just more light around the corner. The real plans, our plans held for 2008 will not just arrive without effort on our part. Not sure what you have scheduled or believe should happen during this New Year to be, but I would suggest lean not so heavy on your plans and trust more in His direction so you will stay on course.
Until then
Monday, December 24, 2007
Thursday, December 20, 2007
My First Christmas in Heaven
It is amazing how time passes so fast, and I am thankful for the different daily experiences and opportunities I have that provide many of the themes and inspirations for this column.
Some pastors, preachers, evangelist will, after writing a message repeat that same message many times over throughout a career of ministry, and I’ve got some good revival messages that I will use again, but mostly I write and deliver new message without repeats but this week is one of those exceptions.
The passing of my father’s dad was difficult for me personally, but through the ministry of a former church member in Monticello, Kentucky my spirit was touched and God has continued each of these past 9 years to touch my life with this poem and I know many of you too because of the comments you’ve shared.
I pray this year you will find what I have found in the words of this poem and I pray that the great comforter will bring peace to your hearts as you remember your loved ones too.
My First Christmas in Heaven
I see the countless Christmas Trees around the world below
With tiny lights, like Heaven’s stars, reflecting on the snow.
The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away the tear
For I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.
I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear
But the sounds of music can’t compare with the Christmas choir up here.
I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring,
For it is beyond description to hear the angels sing.
I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart
But I am not so far away, we really aren’t apart.
So be happy for me, dear ones, you know I hold you dear
And be glad I’m spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.
I sent you each a special gift, from my heavenly home above.
I sent you each a memory of my undying love.
After all, love is a gift more precious than pure gold.
It was always most important in the stories Jesus told.
Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do.
For I can’t count the blessing or love He has for each of you.
So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear.
Remember, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.
Until then
Some pastors, preachers, evangelist will, after writing a message repeat that same message many times over throughout a career of ministry, and I’ve got some good revival messages that I will use again, but mostly I write and deliver new message without repeats but this week is one of those exceptions.
The passing of my father’s dad was difficult for me personally, but through the ministry of a former church member in Monticello, Kentucky my spirit was touched and God has continued each of these past 9 years to touch my life with this poem and I know many of you too because of the comments you’ve shared.
I pray this year you will find what I have found in the words of this poem and I pray that the great comforter will bring peace to your hearts as you remember your loved ones too.
My First Christmas in Heaven
I see the countless Christmas Trees around the world below
With tiny lights, like Heaven’s stars, reflecting on the snow.
The sight is so spectacular, please wipe away the tear
For I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.
I hear the many Christmas songs that people hold so dear
But the sounds of music can’t compare with the Christmas choir up here.
I have no words to tell you, the joy their voices bring,
For it is beyond description to hear the angels sing.
I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart
But I am not so far away, we really aren’t apart.
So be happy for me, dear ones, you know I hold you dear
And be glad I’m spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.
I sent you each a special gift, from my heavenly home above.
I sent you each a memory of my undying love.
After all, love is a gift more precious than pure gold.
It was always most important in the stories Jesus told.
Please love and keep each other, as my Father said to do.
For I can’t count the blessing or love He has for each of you.
So have a Merry Christmas and wipe away that tear.
Remember, I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.
Until then
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Ms Mary Asher Wilson
During this special time of Christmas-Thanks-Giving Season I have been continuing to remember folks that I am thankful for or individuals that I remember in a mode of thanks because of their investment in others.
Mary Asher Wilson is one of those “gems” that I’ve been thinking about. To many she was just a little lady that played the organ at church, but she was so much more. Ms. Mary as she was affectionately known, was a lady who played the organ faithfully at her church, was a most devoted follower of Jesus, and she was a true giver of gifts. The gift most precious to me would be the gift of herself she shared on many occasions.
Please know that I am not an alone single individual that has a unique insight into Ms. Mary. I am one of hundreds of hundreds touched through my teen years back in Bell County, but she and her husband have touch thousands upon thousands throughout Kentucky and the world. Ms. Mary built at least one building to honor her family at Cumberland College, now the University of the Cumberlands, Georgetown and Campbellsville not to mention contributions to Clear Creek Baptist Bible College.
Today as I write I am thinking about her beautiful shining white hair, that pleasant demeanor that would put one at ease, her quietness and sincere desire you would feel when asking her a question or as she would listen at you talk. She had great quality and was someone who cherished the blessings God had given her, and she was willing to let others benefits from God’s goodness. Now that type of character is just as unique today as it was then, and it lives on because she made the attempt to invest in others, trusting them in their own visions, and aspirations.
I love singing and enjoy music and Ms. Mary did too. I received my first ever Carson Silver Dollar from her, but most cherished was just her playing the organ and me singing. My memory recalls her saying “why don’t you sing it this way, and I will do this with the organ and that will sound nice”. She was always right, and I learned one of those valuable lessons in life about trying old things new ways from her.
Leading the church congregation in singing was a treat too. Directing the congregation in singing with her at the organ playing was always fun because she would follow your lead, and for someone that was so young, leading someone with age and experience it was a valuable experience. I learned through that experience the beauty of team work, mutual trust and respect.
This Christmas I am thinking about hearing her say, I love the decorations, but I will need to have a clear view to the pulpit to follow the director, so the organ would have little sitting up in a big fan fair way. My most cherished thoughts of Ms. Mary would be her sitting in that little chair next to the organ, listening to the preaching of God’s word. While playing the organ, it would need to be line of sight, but when not playing she would quietly sit in a hidden spot so as not to disturb the movement of the Holy Spirit by moving around or being seen getting ready for the invitational hymn.
Precious memories, how then linger, and how they ever fill our souls. May this Christmas cause you to also remember someone that made a difference in your life because they gave of themselves to your benefit.
Until then.
Mary Asher Wilson is one of those “gems” that I’ve been thinking about. To many she was just a little lady that played the organ at church, but she was so much more. Ms. Mary as she was affectionately known, was a lady who played the organ faithfully at her church, was a most devoted follower of Jesus, and she was a true giver of gifts. The gift most precious to me would be the gift of herself she shared on many occasions.
Please know that I am not an alone single individual that has a unique insight into Ms. Mary. I am one of hundreds of hundreds touched through my teen years back in Bell County, but she and her husband have touch thousands upon thousands throughout Kentucky and the world. Ms. Mary built at least one building to honor her family at Cumberland College, now the University of the Cumberlands, Georgetown and Campbellsville not to mention contributions to Clear Creek Baptist Bible College.
Today as I write I am thinking about her beautiful shining white hair, that pleasant demeanor that would put one at ease, her quietness and sincere desire you would feel when asking her a question or as she would listen at you talk. She had great quality and was someone who cherished the blessings God had given her, and she was willing to let others benefits from God’s goodness. Now that type of character is just as unique today as it was then, and it lives on because she made the attempt to invest in others, trusting them in their own visions, and aspirations.
I love singing and enjoy music and Ms. Mary did too. I received my first ever Carson Silver Dollar from her, but most cherished was just her playing the organ and me singing. My memory recalls her saying “why don’t you sing it this way, and I will do this with the organ and that will sound nice”. She was always right, and I learned one of those valuable lessons in life about trying old things new ways from her.
Leading the church congregation in singing was a treat too. Directing the congregation in singing with her at the organ playing was always fun because she would follow your lead, and for someone that was so young, leading someone with age and experience it was a valuable experience. I learned through that experience the beauty of team work, mutual trust and respect.
This Christmas I am thinking about hearing her say, I love the decorations, but I will need to have a clear view to the pulpit to follow the director, so the organ would have little sitting up in a big fan fair way. My most cherished thoughts of Ms. Mary would be her sitting in that little chair next to the organ, listening to the preaching of God’s word. While playing the organ, it would need to be line of sight, but when not playing she would quietly sit in a hidden spot so as not to disturb the movement of the Holy Spirit by moving around or being seen getting ready for the invitational hymn.
Precious memories, how then linger, and how they ever fill our souls. May this Christmas cause you to also remember someone that made a difference in your life because they gave of themselves to your benefit.
Until then.
Thursday, December 6, 2007
Celebration of the Advent Season
The church has begun the Advent Season, full of all her colors, symbols, anticipation and spiritual hope. There are churches that will have special services that mark this time of Advent, while others will never mention the words Advent in any worship service or call attention to this type of planned season of celebration.
Growing up I was exposed to the Advent Season because of Dr. Harold Wortman.
Dr. Wortman served as Minister of Music at the First Baptist Church Pineville, and through his ministry special music marked the Christian way of faith and highlighted this unique time. While the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt under bitter oppression, experiencing the tyranny of injustice they prayed for deliverance. Today, we long in anticipation and hope of the coming Savior as King, looking for His return. This is the meaning and reasoning for the Advent Season and all the reason to celebrate.
My personal education of this season continued at Cumberland College. Dr. Wortman served as Chairman of the Music Department and his leadership in services like the Hanging of the Green held on campus provided additional learning used still. Doc loved this time of the year, the wreaths, candles, colors, and of course, more especially the music. Written previously I’ve shared I believe Christmas is a great time to advance my favorite week of the years theme, thanks-giving.
A memory of Dr. Wortman in my music education would be the song and prayer “Come, O Come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel”. I can hear him even now saying, “Think about their longing and desire for freedom. Add that to your personal experience of asking Jesus to come into your heart”, remembering that freedom from sin and he thought adding longing to be delivered and set free with being set free, one should have all they need to celebrate. Doc was right, freedom plus freedom equals freedom and that is a great spirit to have and celebrate. If forgiveness of sin, deliverance from the wrongs of persecution and the promise of Heaven does not give you an emotion of freedom then I would suggest you are still in slavery and I would invite you to ask Jesus to come into your heart.
This is a great time for Churches to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas through Advent Services and emphasis and this is a perfect time for Christians to stop and ask those we meet if they knew why the anticipated arrival of the Christ child was so important and how it relate to us today.
Life has provided many experiences for me in learning about Jesus through church, church programs, Sunday School, children/youth events, people like Dr. Wortman, who had such an influence on my life, and I’m just praying that I am leaving something behind that will point others to the Star of Bethlehem, just as I have been.
Until then
Growing up I was exposed to the Advent Season because of Dr. Harold Wortman.
Dr. Wortman served as Minister of Music at the First Baptist Church Pineville, and through his ministry special music marked the Christian way of faith and highlighted this unique time. While the children of Israel were slaves in Egypt under bitter oppression, experiencing the tyranny of injustice they prayed for deliverance. Today, we long in anticipation and hope of the coming Savior as King, looking for His return. This is the meaning and reasoning for the Advent Season and all the reason to celebrate.
My personal education of this season continued at Cumberland College. Dr. Wortman served as Chairman of the Music Department and his leadership in services like the Hanging of the Green held on campus provided additional learning used still. Doc loved this time of the year, the wreaths, candles, colors, and of course, more especially the music. Written previously I’ve shared I believe Christmas is a great time to advance my favorite week of the years theme, thanks-giving.
A memory of Dr. Wortman in my music education would be the song and prayer “Come, O Come Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel”. I can hear him even now saying, “Think about their longing and desire for freedom. Add that to your personal experience of asking Jesus to come into your heart”, remembering that freedom from sin and he thought adding longing to be delivered and set free with being set free, one should have all they need to celebrate. Doc was right, freedom plus freedom equals freedom and that is a great spirit to have and celebrate. If forgiveness of sin, deliverance from the wrongs of persecution and the promise of Heaven does not give you an emotion of freedom then I would suggest you are still in slavery and I would invite you to ask Jesus to come into your heart.
This is a great time for Churches to celebrate the real meaning of Christmas through Advent Services and emphasis and this is a perfect time for Christians to stop and ask those we meet if they knew why the anticipated arrival of the Christ child was so important and how it relate to us today.
Life has provided many experiences for me in learning about Jesus through church, church programs, Sunday School, children/youth events, people like Dr. Wortman, who had such an influence on my life, and I’m just praying that I am leaving something behind that will point others to the Star of Bethlehem, just as I have been.
Until then
Saturday, December 1, 2007
Thanksgiving & Christmas
With December now here some would say that the Season of Thanks is officially over, but I believe Christmas offers a perfect time to continue the tradition of saying and giving thanks and maybe even more so with December being the celebration of the Christ Child Jesus Birthday.
A continuance of saying thanks is most appropriate during December because the Baby Jesus was a gift of the Heavenly Father to each of us individually, so there’s a reason to continue the thanks. Another reason to continue thanking in December would be because of acts of obedience that Mary and Joseph demonstrated in following through with God’s plan. What an example they remain today because of their actions.
There is so much about the Season of Christmas that is also about Thanksgiving. Consider the fact that those that arrived to this new land gave thanks and the driving part of the search for new lands was freedom in worship, seeking after their hearts yearning, and a discovery of not just new lands, but new peace too.
Living here in the Bible Belt is a blessing. I’ve lived in big cities and observed the passing by of so many and the moving about of daily living that never stops and recognizes the creator. I’ve been to New York City’s Central Park and watched the animals, looked at the trees, swelled the roses and observed the people still, who so seem to have no understanding of that quote by Emerson who said, “nature is the art of God”.
My list of thanks will continue to flow but my goal and desire is to some how create the awareness in others that this is even a more special time for us to be able to advance the kingdom of God because of the worlds emphasis on His season.
The Bible tells us to “give thanks always”, and the Bible also tells us to “rejoice, and again I say rejoice”. During this time of the year many will not find their spirits in that overflowing rejoicing or giving thanks mode because of the experiences of life that may have brought a death during this time, a loss of employment that stripped the parents and children of needs and dreams, or maybe this time of the year is just too rushed and the movement of people causes an alarm or hesitation to be around others or go places.
Nevertheless, Christians are instructed to give thanks and rejoice so how will we find His way in this mess we’ve made it into?
Might I suggest looking back until you reach that memory spot where it was clear what God was asking you to do? Think back to the last peace you had that filled you in such a way you didn’t even recognize all the distractions happening all around.
The Bible talks about that peace that passes all understanding and I cannot but believe His peace is discovered when his will is discovered and giving the gift of ourselves to others helps in that search. Seeing the reasons for giving thanks and we doing so as an honor to Him I believe creates that very real presence of Himself that also establishes His plan in our lives.
There is much to do and little time to do it, so lets go ahead and add Thanksgiving and Christmas together for the cause of Christ. Saying thanks and giving gifts in thanksgiving toward others will show we’ve got the meaning of the seasons.
Until then
A continuance of saying thanks is most appropriate during December because the Baby Jesus was a gift of the Heavenly Father to each of us individually, so there’s a reason to continue the thanks. Another reason to continue thanking in December would be because of acts of obedience that Mary and Joseph demonstrated in following through with God’s plan. What an example they remain today because of their actions.
There is so much about the Season of Christmas that is also about Thanksgiving. Consider the fact that those that arrived to this new land gave thanks and the driving part of the search for new lands was freedom in worship, seeking after their hearts yearning, and a discovery of not just new lands, but new peace too.
Living here in the Bible Belt is a blessing. I’ve lived in big cities and observed the passing by of so many and the moving about of daily living that never stops and recognizes the creator. I’ve been to New York City’s Central Park and watched the animals, looked at the trees, swelled the roses and observed the people still, who so seem to have no understanding of that quote by Emerson who said, “nature is the art of God”.
My list of thanks will continue to flow but my goal and desire is to some how create the awareness in others that this is even a more special time for us to be able to advance the kingdom of God because of the worlds emphasis on His season.
The Bible tells us to “give thanks always”, and the Bible also tells us to “rejoice, and again I say rejoice”. During this time of the year many will not find their spirits in that overflowing rejoicing or giving thanks mode because of the experiences of life that may have brought a death during this time, a loss of employment that stripped the parents and children of needs and dreams, or maybe this time of the year is just too rushed and the movement of people causes an alarm or hesitation to be around others or go places.
Nevertheless, Christians are instructed to give thanks and rejoice so how will we find His way in this mess we’ve made it into?
Might I suggest looking back until you reach that memory spot where it was clear what God was asking you to do? Think back to the last peace you had that filled you in such a way you didn’t even recognize all the distractions happening all around.
The Bible talks about that peace that passes all understanding and I cannot but believe His peace is discovered when his will is discovered and giving the gift of ourselves to others helps in that search. Seeing the reasons for giving thanks and we doing so as an honor to Him I believe creates that very real presence of Himself that also establishes His plan in our lives.
There is much to do and little time to do it, so lets go ahead and add Thanksgiving and Christmas together for the cause of Christ. Saying thanks and giving gifts in thanksgiving toward others will show we’ve got the meaning of the seasons.
Until then
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