An even of history and the political conventions of the day

The highlights of the Republican National Convention were marked by what I believe can be defined in two word. Division and hostility. The highlights of the Democratic National Convention can easily be described in the same fashion in my opinion. In my lifetime I know Republicans that 'hate' other Republicans. While 'hate' is a strong word the truth is what it is. In my lifetime I've known Democrats that demonstrate the same behaviors and like their counterparts the Republicans they each consider their actions to be acceptable and all a part of their duty because of devotion to the party. When leaders see their personal responsibility as such they the end result is selfishness and failed leadership that impacts all level of organization and society. The hostilities witness at both of the leading political party conventions remind me of another time in history that was filled with deceit, backstabbing, plots and long laid plans designed to fill the self-serving interesting of the political leadership of the day. That historical event was devised to trick Jesus into not being 'politically correct' which would result in His arrest, beating and if the plan goes as schemed the people would publically turn against Him. If the long laid plans were to turn our perfectly as developed by the political leadership of that day then the people would also demand His crucifixion. If you are a student of history then you know that Jesus didn't fall to their attempts, He stood true to His purpose and plan as designed by His Father in Heaven. The back-up plan of the political leadership was implemented and the lies of those in power convinced the public and the religious leadership of the day to have him arrested on lies and push through His conviction and settle the issue of Jesus quickly and permanently. The hierarchy of the day misjudge the real impact of a single life lived to make a difference for others. The life of Jesus has changed the lives of millions and His teachings have impacted governments since His Star first rose giving guidance to those in search of the place where the Savior of the World was born in Bethlehem. My advice is to follow and elect Jesus in your personal life. My advice for the RNC and the DNC is to take a lesson and learn from history the only plans that last are the ones that honor Him. Until then

Eyes on the plow

Scripture in the Holy Bible talks about keeping our hands on the plow. The scriptural reference from the book of Luke speaks to the attitude a Christian is best served with regarding those moment in our lives we wish could be easily forgotten by others and even more especially ourselves. Sin and disobedience are two difficult conversation and the subject matters are even more difficult when the point of reference is we ourselves. We would not have much difficulty in talking about the sin and disobedience of others but when the subject is personalized it becomes difficult and challenging to address. When Dr. Luke in the Bible writes about keeping our hands on the plow the reference is about a Christians individual who understands their greatest need in life, which is forgiveness from their sins. The meaning continues that a Christian is best served by not looking back at their sins and the past mistakes, struggles and battles. The reason being by looking back we loose our ability to plow a straight row and future which is before us. The sins we commit can be issues that bring life long consequences by still immediate forgiveness. Directing our focus on the future is always wise. Knowing where it is we as individual have come from is also beneficial. Focusing on our past is a downfall and a personal failure and drag to "Pressing Forward" as the Apostle Paul suggested. Paul and Luke are both offering Holy Spirit guidance for living life, getting back up, and moving forward. Luke said 'Don't look back' and Paul said 'Forgetting that which is behind'. The struggle I personally continue to see in my life and in the lives of those I care about is their thinking that they are capable of living the Christian life on their own. If the guilt over our personal failures is added to the mix then the weight of such a moment because a burden that we might perceive to be one we cannot even cast on Him because of our weakness. If this is your thinking then know this. His love for us was before we call on Him. His decision to give us the gift of forgiveness is not based on any part of our actions. The price is one He paid and the gift is His to give, not us to earn. Until then

Tilting off our Axis

Not a day seems to pass that the world in which we live seems to be more and more 'off her rocker' with the tilt seeming to be one in which we cannot recover from preventing our fall. When I was in high school science class I learned all about the world, and her rotating axis, how the world spins and what seemed to be useless knowledge then but valuable information to me currently. The earth rotates once in 24 hours, as does the average news cycle and reports we hear day in and day out. If I were to mention 'Polaris' all the 4-wheeling fans will think immediately I have gotten confused in writing this newspaper column and intertwined thoughts of the earth and adventure fun and that 'Polaris' has nothing to do with earth conversation except for mud, water, climbing and dust. However as a point of education the 'Polaris' is the North Star or our guide and reference point in the sky. Life has a guiding star, guide and reference point too. Over 2,000 years ago the Star of Bethlehem was that guiding point and as was then and still today, wise men and women still seek Him. Him being the child of Bethlehem born as Savior of the world...His name being Jesus the Christ. It can be very easy to dismiss my thoughts and conversation ideas but the truth is that Jesus is real as is the 'Polaris', the North Star and truly the earth does rotate on her axis keeping the world spinning around and around. Truths can be sometimes difficult to talk about or understand but that doesn't change the fact that they are true. In a world of chaos, confusion and challenges the answer for each of these is Jesus Christ....the Star of Bethlehem. When the world spins terrible news and tragic events, the answer is Jesus. When it seems like we as a citizens of this nation are in a free fall the answer is Jesus. The best advice I can share is that the method that most prepares us for unwanted news or events is to be solid in our faith and relationship with the answer before world tilts off her axis. Until then

4th of July Cassarole

The 4th of July is a moment of fireworks, the lake, trip 4-wheeling in mountains, vacation week on the beach, block parties and food. One matter in which I take some level of self-pride within would be giving myself credit that I can fix a meal! I so enjoy cooking and I believe tied with that ranking would be enjoying people eating my cooking. The self-pleasure is satisfying knowing those eating are enjoying the experience too. This 4th of July I really had one thing I had to do and then I had my list of things I could do too. Checking off that which had to be done first required me to self-give a Humira shot. Then I figured I would fix myself a casserole that would require 35 minutes of cooking in the oven and then it would be a small party of me at the table enjoying the 4th Holiday. Sadly my plans did not work our as expected. After self-administering the Humira shot I found my eyes laying heavy and without any notice or announcement I would later discover in an awaken mode I had been asleep for the past 6 hours and that wonderfully prepared casserole scheduled for 35 minutes at 400 degrees had now experienced the adventure of 6 hours of baking which had filled my entire home with an odor that had me totally confused. My first though was that the smell and smoke was from fireworks the neighbor's had set-off, but not being the normal fireworks odor I continued to look for the source. In time I remember I had something cooking in the oven however it looked now like a high school science project or the worse possible home economics meal ever prepared. Fully baked beyond a total crisp and black the only recognizable color I just closed the oven door, opened the house windows and doors and ignited a candle in my attempt to put some kind of new swell in the air. Life can often be this way. We make our own plans, not rushing to get anything done, we are attempting to do as little as possible and simply enjoy the moment when all doesn't go as planned. Did I get upset...no not really. I had no other person to blame. Was I annoyed by the experience totally, but I found a bit of humor in the experience too. LIfe doesn't always go as we plan but that shouldn't stop us from making plans and looking forward to a good casserole one day, just not on this day. Until then.

Union College - Barbourville; First Baptist - Spartanburg;

Nestled in the pioneering adventures of Dr. Thomas Walker, the City of Barbourville-Knox County and Union College each summer is host to the First Baptist Church of Spartanburg and a youth ministry that meets in their city at a place called "The Hanger". What began in 1969 as a type of exploratory mission trip to the Appalachian Mountains to search out ministry opportunities has now become a part of their and our history all in its own rights and merits. During this time of the summer each year our area seems inundated with white vans, Vacation Bible Schools, basketball camps along with our areas local famous greasy spoons are filled during lunch and dinner time with teenagers and adults all wearing the same color t-shirts with the slogan "Legacy". Rev Seth Buckley is the Minister of Students leading this group of 200 plus volunteers who will reach over 5,000 children, teenagers and adults through their efforts to share the Good News, that Jesus Christ loves you and me. This Kentucky Mission Project, as it is known at First Spartanburg, conducts Vacation Bibles Schools in the morning and in the evenings. This allows for double the opportunity for students to demonstrate their love for Christ and His love for all they come into contact with throughout the week long trip. The students who have been in your churches, or who you have met or passed at a store or on the highway have worked hard to be a part of this experience. They go through an interview process, a time of studying and learning evangelism methods, learning songs and motions that will enhance the words and demonstrate the meaning of the song. This might sound easy in part, but it takes months of preparation, efforts and dedication. Every person I know who have ever attended either as a volunteer or as a participant here in Kentucky has walked away with a memory or an impression that will never be forgotten in their lifetime. Thanks First Baptist for coming to Kentucky and Thanks Union College for hosting our great friends from South Carolina. Until then

Planting Corn

At the end of each year during our thinking time around New Years Eve, many folks begin to think about resolutions. There are from time to time resolutions, or commitments we make, that require no action until spring time. This type of New Year resolution might be one that takes you back to your childhood. For example the commitment to plant a garden. Year after year some folks make no though about a garden because they already know they are going to raise their own vegetables, they have been planting in the same field, location or spot in their back yard for years. A matter of fact, if we didn't see the ground turned or folks tending to the 'usual' we would be asking the question and wondering if they were going to raise a garden this year. While this annual rite of family tradition is a given for some, others might have decided to go back to their childhood memories and do some planting and venture out into the world of gardening and farming. If you have never planted a garden or raised your own vegetables the task can be challenging. Just consider the options for planting corn. Frying up a mess of fresh corn sounds easy but getting corn to the dinner table is not that easy, unless of course you are just buying a dozen ears from your local grocery or road side stand. The challenge of getting fried corn, corn pudding, corn casserole, corn risotto, corn on the cob, corn salsa, corn salad, or even corn chowder to the table requires growers to first figure out what type of corn to plant. Your options include: Silver Queen; Peaces & Cream; Bubble Gum; Cotton Candy; Kandy Korn; Jubilee; just to mention a few. Lots of options and choices. All this thinking makes you want to just say yellow or white corn, because all the options can be overwhelming. Making a decision about faith can be challenging too. Challenging because there are many options for folks to select from. You don't have to place your trust and faith in Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord. You can live life anyway you want to, but without surveying the options which include Him, life will always require us to re-stuff the scarecrow or keep looking for a way to keep the crows from picking our harvest. Jesus Christ offers faith, hope and love. All of which can only be harvested if we accept His free give of life and allow Him to plant the seed in our life which grows eternal. Until then