Scripture Focus 2009 - II Corinthians 4:8-9

It is that time again for me to share my focus scripture of the year. In 2008 I turned my attention to II Corinthians 6:1 which says, “We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that you receive not the grace of God in vain.” If you confess the name of Jesus as your Savior who was it you cooperated with this year and worked together for Him? For me I have several different times that come to my reflection as I ponder my efforts to have not received God’s grace in vain. Honesty requires that I confess that no doubt there are moments that I did not respond well to His perfect gift to me. Honesty requires that I say times have been difficult and not always have I had a smiling face showing the grace of God at work in my life.
On the other hand I am grateful for folks who through their Christmas notes alone encouraged me in my faith and practice. Rev. Ron Wilson, a minister at East Wood Baptist Church in Bowling Green sent a note that said, “WOW! Our God is truly an AWESOME God! It all happens according to HIS time and not ours. That is incredible! Your faith is inspiring! Love ya bro!” Randy & Delia Burns, who attended Clear Creek Baptist Bible College, wrote and shared about an experience remembered from the Bethlehem Baptist Church of Dorton Branch. He wrote, “When I remember those days I, too, smile. I remember the time you brought us a 40lb box of ham to put in our dorm (size) fridge. I ate ham for three weeks, and thanked the Lord for it. I remember how you encouraged me and even gave me a chance to preach. You were a tremendous blessing in difficult times, and I am still proud to call you a friend (even though we don't get much of a chance to see or talk to each other). I hope you also have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I remember what you taught me, "Whatever you find to for the Lord, do it with all your might." What a privilege I had to serve at BBCDB and to meet Randy, Delia and so many other students from Clear Creek. We served there with a genuine heart and it made a difference in his life so there the grace of God was not received in vain by his testimony.
I had the honor of officiating at the wedding ceremony of Catherine and Matthew Randolph who wrote, “We really appreciate you writing out or vows and ring exchanges. You are a wonderful person and we're so blessed to have you in our lives. I hope you also have a wonderful Christmas. Matthew and I wish you all the best for 2009. Don't forget to smile and have tons of fun! Lots of love and hugs.” Sometimes when I wonder if I am using the grace God has given me properly, I read a note like these and I know to press on, keep a smiling going and continue to give what you have to give to those we know and meet along life’s highway.
I have selected II Corinthians 4:8-9 as my scripture focus for 2009. It reads, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; Perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not abandoned; Struck down, but not destroyed.”
Every year I have encouraged folks to select a scripture to study, ponder, think upon, ask questions about, and attempt to gain insight into God’s plan for our lives because we have selected scripture to focus on and grow thereby. It is never to late to memorize God’s word or seek out His plan by giving our attention to His direction. I pray that 2009 will be a year of discovery in your life and you may not be pressed, perplexed, persecuted or struck down. You may be on the mountain high, looking over the valley, walking through the roses of life enjoying the fragrance of life’s good times. Either way, the right decision will be to consider His plan, follow His direction and focus wherever He has planted you just as you are.

Until then

You've got two Eve's and two Day's---what's next?

Now that Christmas Eve and Christmas Day have passed we are now all focused on New Years Eve and New Years Day. I might suggest this is not a bad pattern to focus on a little bit at a time every now and then, but we must also focus on the big picture in our lives too.
The problem with day to day focus living is that if this consumes us our lives basically involve no planning, just living. This will deprive us of not just needed personal development in our lives, but it will eventually rob us of dreams, hopes and aspirations. There are moments in all our lives that do require us to live and survive but that type of lifestyle will run her course and we will find ourselves empty handed and farther down the road of depression, self respect, and vision.
When you find the need to be singular in focus a few suggestions might be to make sure that you have some friends coming by to visit that are living the dream, and or still pushing toward their sense of self and accomplishment. Another suggestion would be to not stay locked away, but make sure you get out of the house, visit some folks you really like and that are encouragers and see that the world is still moving. Often times when trouble hits our door or difficult times fill our lives we just do the day type living thing and we forget about everything and everyone else. This of course is not good.
Focus living begins with a purpose, some trusted friends for advice and support and a determination to not die without a fight. Certainly to fail is not a failure, to find ourselves against the wall is not the end nor is struggling and having to have assistance the end of the world. These are all facts of life that most of us have experienced, and I am suggesting that we’ve experienced all of these moments too. There is no shame in having help, but there is shame in relying totally on help without our involvement to make the situation better.
Motivation is the drive, determination, encouragement, inspiration or courage to take a step, make a change, or go after something that is before you. In this type of motivational living there will be many hard days no doubt. There will be moments of loneliness and defeat, but the key is the courage to not accept such and become that single focused person, but to keep dreaming, fighting, pushing, clawing, or whatever it takes to keep moving. Sometimes in accepting motivation we are looking for immediate results that put us ahead, and that is not always the end result. Personally, I can feel ahead knowing that I left no stone unturned, that I gave something my all and even though the results I would have wished for or sought after didn’t come my way, I have self respect knowing that I didn’t just stand around and do nothing.
So, while you’ve just experienced an eve and a day with Christmas and now you are ready for another eve and day with New Years, what direction will you head toward after these too pass? For myself I have determined that “life is worth the living because He lives”. I am always someone who enjoys a song and the message is just perfect not only for me but I would think for many that we all know that have questions about life and how to live it.
When you need or want a reason to live---Jesus is a great answer! When you think your hope is gone and the struggles are too great to bear---Jesus is available! When you think that all your friends have gone, and you may be right---just remember that Jesus is a friend that sticks by closer then a brother!
Merry Christmas 2008 and Happy New Year 2009, and if you need more then this to get your life going again, just remember there is more to the Star of Bethlehem then just a light to follow to one destination. The Star is a light for choice after choice and decision after decision.

Until then

My First Christmas in Heaven - Grandfather, C. Hobert Mills

Of all the traditions an individual can be a part of, the publishing of this column, with this poem, is one event that is my most cherished tradition during the Christmas Season. Given to my by a friend at the death of my grandfather, C. Hobert Mills, today I share the thoughts again as a ministry to all who have lost loved ones.
The memories of loved ones, family and friends, floods my mind while my heart is filled with comfort each time I reflect and read. May you too be blessed.

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

The STAR.....your journey....it's in the name....JESUS

The Season of Advent is in full swing and in less then two weeks this Nation will celebrate the finale of the Christmas Season with Christmas Eva and Christmas Day personal and family gatherings. This year I participated in the 37th Annual Lighting of the Star. It is the Pineville (Bell County) Community Celebration of the big shining STAR that is atop Pine Mountain. The STAR is a something that drivers and passengers have been looking up at as they drive and ride the Cumberland Gap Parkway through the Gem City of the Cumberland’s-Pineville during this season of the year.
The STAR is a symbol that represents the STAR of BETHLEHEM, and it provides as it shines the same wisdom and guidance that the Wise Men were following during their journey to find the place of the birth of the Savior of the World-Jesus. Today, wise individuals should be discovering themselves looking for the answer, and it is still found in the only name given among men whereby we must be saved, the name of Jesus (Acts 4:12).
I would be really nice to say that peace can be found at the manager bed, or that confidence can be discovered at the cross, but the manager bed, the cross and the tomb are all just points or details in the story of Jesus. The answer, the peace and the confidence for difficult times is found in a single name, not in a location or a thought. Hymn books are filled with songs about the name Jesus, but many individuals place their focus on certain situations, or moments in the life of Jesus rather then the power of the name. This Season is a perfect time to begin by looking at the STAR, seeing the call of the Father on the life of His son Jesus, and the obedience of Jesus to His Father’s call which included Jesus’ willingness to lay down His life on a cruel wooden cross, experiencing humiliation, pain and rejection so He could continue His journey through the grave and finally back home to His Father in Heaven.
As this Christmas Season has been arriving the journey many individuals have experienced has been a difficult one. We often think of the Wise Men as I have in this column, but they were being served as they traveled and their travels were from the highest of orders and instructions with assistance. Maybe we should think about the shepherds’ who were working that 3rd shift in the night, outside, where the weather conditions hand no effect, work required their attentiveness. Tough times make tough people, but it’s not a stubborn toughness I am talking about, where we don’t listen or care because of the hard time one has experienced in life. Rather, a toughness about where we have our eyes focused and what we our holding on to that pushes us forward and creates a drive filled with faith no matter the outcome.
If you receive no gifts this Christmas is it still Christmas? By the way, I’m not talking about you and your family or friends agreeing not to buy something for each other, but a real no gifts. If you have no ability to have a fancy meal this Christmas is it still Christmas? If you are seeking employment yet finding yourself at the mercy of the folks you know, is it still Christmas? It is easy to sings songs about joy, hope and peace in good times, but the real test is when you are experiencing your worse. What are the thoughts of your heart and the meditation of your mind? We all want to buy gifts, but will you still say it’s Christmas if you have no money to buy a single gift for anyone?
The STAR of Bethlehem is all about us and it is about the gift that was created just for me and for you. Accepting that gift is up to us individually too. The real peace, hope, joy, confidence, and faith one needs to live in all times can only be found in Jesus Christ. He is more then the reason for the Season, He is not just the Season either, but He is the only answer for the being alone, doing without, or cherishing the memories once shared and enjoyed. My prayer is that no matter the status you find yourself this Christmas you will see the STAR and know there is more to this then meets the eye.

Until then

Thanks - South Farriston Missionary Baptist Church; Crossroads Fellowship;

The Season of Thanksgiving is a perfect time for us to focus on matters that deserve an acknowledgement of thanks and I cannot allow this season to pass without sharing the highlight of my Season of Thanks as I mention what I witnessed at the South Fariston Missionary Baptist Church in London, Kentucky. The church, which recently changed her name to Crossroads Fellowship Church, is located off Highway 25 between Corbin and London. This Fariston Community has a rich history of good neighbors and friends, and Crossroads Fellowship began as a church with land purchased on October 3, 1959, at the total cost of ($1.00) one dollar. This original land gift was made possible by the support of the Lily Baptist Church, and conveyed by Trustees, Roy Peters, Charlie Johnson, Robert Root and Casper Hopkins.
The Bible instructs Christians to lay a foundation that others can build upon and the Lily Baptist Church has long been a place of involvement and has a rich history herself. This act of generosity is one such testimony of their desire to expand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That faith and foundation laid has continued with additional layers and on the first Sunday in November of this year I witnessed a most unique foundation of God as the South Fariston Missionary Baptist Church, operating under a new vision and name installed Doug Sage as the New Pastor at the Crossroads Fellowship Church.
Crossroads Fellowship is a great name for a church that seeks to provide answers and directions for travelers along life’s highway. The search for significance and mean in life is not an easy find for many, but Crossroads Fellowship and her members stand providing individual highway signs pointing and guiding people to Jesus Christ who are willing to receive a helpful hand of friendship and assistance. The intersections of life, choices and decisions are sometimes crowded by the sounding of horns, the push of people, and the pressure to move or doing something. With that type of fast paced life it is easy to miss miracles that happen right before us, but I am thankful I didn’t miss witnessing this one.
The transition of leadership in most churches is done very quietly. We let most pastors come and go with very little fanfare, thanks or honor. Certainly hardly ever heard is a service where the outgoing and the incoming pastors are honored in the same service, but that’s exactly what I witnessed on that Sunday morning at Crossroads Fellowship. This service wasn’t planned to just get along and be nice to each other either, but it was a Holy Spirit filled experience where we witnessing the “laying on of hands”, heard prayers of praise, thanks and vision for these two men of God, and this filled my life with amazement at the wonder of God’s goodness as witnessed through the lives of two pastor and a congregation who loves the both. Pastor Joshua Smith, who served for over 2 years, has stepped down to allow God’s Will to be completed in the life of Doug Sage who has served as Minister to Students. Pastor Josh Smith provided the confirmation of God’s Will in Doug’s life after honest conversations between the two of them and because of both of their desires to serve God the best with their talents and skills. If you’ve attended church just a little or for most of your life, you will not have any problem knowing this is not something that happens everyday, as many Christian leaders often serve their own egos, perceived reputations and would never dare to take this kind of step, unheard of, step down, lift someone else up, and here’s a twist, and remain at the church to help the new pastor too?!
Only God puts a rainbow in the sky and only God brings hearts together, united, and all so that Jesus Christ can be exalted in His church-unheard of, in most circles, but witnessed in this one.
Observing the change in the Lead Servants role between these two pastors and to know that this was fully supported by the congregations causes me to know one thing for certain. I cannot wait to watch and see what God does next in this congregation. The congregations genuine love toward each other and their desire to serve God by reaching out beyond their church buildings and walls is a great indication that another foundation has been laid for others to build upon, and to see cooperating church leaders is a real miracle that you don’t often get to witness first hand, so I am thankful I have witnessed again, the hand-i-work of God in my lifetime.

Until then

Thanks Continues: Jeremy & Sarah Skiles; Chris Merrifield; Evan Miller; Melissa Steapleton; Stephen Cawood; Phil & Donna Mitchell;

Tis the Season of Thanksgiving, and I know of no more an appropriate action that any of us could take greater then expressing thanks. Thanks are deserving of our expression for many different reasons and there are many ways in which we can accomplish the task.
How about silent thanks which we can express in a way that the recipient doesn’t know who the surprise has come from? When was the last time you received something but you didn’t know from whom? It will make you walk around in such as way as to be nice to everyone, wanting to express your thanks to all, not knowing whom to personally acknowledge for your gift. That type of living is really not an inappropriate way to live at all, actually, it would make us much more grateful and just imagine how different the world would be if we lived that way…exciting huh? How about a real word of thanks where you write a personal note to someone and it wasn’t produced by some committee or hallmark greeting card writer. A note I personally cherish is one written to me by Stephen Cawood. It was on a simple index type card with his name on it that expressed his thoughts and it meant so much then, and still does today. I am certain he has no idea of the impact of his note a couple years ago and how that encourages me. How about picking up a food bill for someone that is eating at a restaurant or stepping up to the fast food counter and saying, I’ve got this. There might be a little bit of, “no” at first, but just be firm, this is what you are doing and I’m sure the worker will take your card or cash and you can say thanks that way, and I know that will make a difference.
Over the years I have always attempted to be someone that said thanks, but there are some folks that I wish I had said thanks to more often then I have. If you are someone that doesn’t take a “thanks” well, then please don’t stop us for doing such because if you will not allow an individual to say thanks then you become a thief and rob them of something that is rightful to do and certainly appropriate. When was the last time you said thanks to a teacher that has no idea they made a difference in your education. I cannot help but remember Mrs. Dorothy Engle, my first grade teacher, and Mrs. Carter, my second grade teacher at Arjay Elementary School. What a difference they made. I recall their gentleness, soft words and encouragement in accomplishing task age appropriate that are sometimes difficult to master when you are a little one. Remember early days are a good thing and honoring new friends in our new days is just as good. I’ve got new friends that have been a blessing that I need to say thanks to. I realize that for some individuals they don’t have any new friends, basically they have the same friends they have always had. There are a lot of ways to make new friends. If works takes you away from home, there is a chance plus you can deal with a little “home sickness” better if you don’t stay cooped up and in your own little world. Travels on vacations and weekend experiences create a great chance to meet new folks, after all, saying hello might just lead you to a better understanding of how small the world really is, and you may just have friends in common that you would never have discovered if you didn’t say hello, or ask, “how are you”.
Jeremy Skiles and his wife Sarah are two friends that have earned my respect this past year. They will say I am not wrapped all that tight, so please, no one agree with them, they need no encouragement along these lines, ha, ha. Melissa Steapleton is just as dandy and we always have a great time laughing and hanging out, but don’t hold it against her, she from Indiana. Evan Miller is another new comer that has earned a word of thanks as he is a great listener and the perfect birthday planner. Evan is from that other end of Kentucky in Murray, so I could just write that he’s from Missouri but I know he will smile with me as I say thanks in this endeavor. Chris Merrifield from Knoxville, Tennessee has become a great friend and someone that I must say thanks to for being genuine and real in a world that is so often filled with the disingenuous. My final salute to new friends must be Phil and Donna Mitchell. Phil loves bluegrass music so you know he’s in my circle of friends and Donna makes the best homemade spaghetti, so she “cook of the year”.
Not sure who you need to say thanks to, or by what method you will choose to honor those that you love and appreciate, but there is no better time then now, as we celebrate the Season of Thanks.
Until then