Pastor Dad

Dad This is dedicated to the greatest man that I have ever known. And I have known him longer than any other man. My dad! Today he will work his final shift at Coca Cola. This is not ordinary retirement from a job. This is retirement from a lifelong career. You see, dad started at Coke in 1971! Yep, you read that correctly; 1971. 46 years at one company. But this isn’t about his retirement. It’s about his life. My dad is the epitome of a man. When I do premarital counseling I recall who dad is when talking to the husband-to-be. Priest, provider, protector. This is my dad. Protector: I have always felt safe when dad was around. Always. As a matter of fact, the reason I fear almost nothing today is because I never learned it from dad. I don’t remember him worrying. I just remember him being him. Rock solid. Always the same! Provider: I’m not just talking about bringing home the bacon. Which, honestly, with more time I could explain that he actually did bring home t...

I have hurt my children… on purpose! And I hope they hurt theirs the same way!  It’s true. Not only have I hurt them, worse than that, I have assisted complete strangers in causing them pain on multiple occasions. It wasn’t easy but it was necessary! During the few times it has happened, some of you will be surprised to know that, Tammy stood by and allowed it. She couldn’t participate but she was there. Sometimes she went out of the room crying because her babies were crying but she allowed it. Because she knew it was necessary! Let me tell you about one such occasion. When Jordan was little we had an old solid wood dining table and chairs. The chairs were straight backed, nothing fancy, but heavy. Jordan hadn’t been walking long but he had moved on to advanced climbing. And since we didn’t have a climbing wall with safety harnesses and all, he started climbing the back of one of those heavy chairs. As he neared the top, he began to giggle, realizing that this was his time ...

            What has happened? Why are you so fat? It’s a question I have asked myself on more than one occasion. I look in the mirror after a shower when fat, flab, and other things aren’t covered by some well placed clothing items and then I do what most other red-blooded Americans do, I eat some more. And then on some Monday I make a change. And at the beginning of a New Year, there are a lot of changes for a lot of people.             January through March is when you “make hay”, as papaw used to say, at a church. People look at the state of their life and decide to go back to church. If you do a good job as the church and the person is sincere, you can win them; to your church and to Christ. The gym is always full. When my good friend, Tommy, and I used to work out together, January was the worst. You couldn’t move for all the people. While I was at the gym this morning, I almost took a pictur...

Being on the mission field with a free day is dangerous for me. I read and think too much for my own good. Take this verse for instance: Ephesians 4: 30 ESV  And  do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God,  by whom you were sealed for the day of  redemption.   31  Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.   32  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted,  forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. I read this and don't see hidden meanings. I don't see this as a mystery of the Word of God. It seems simple. Yet I see people, church-goin, Jesus-declaring, supposedly Spirit-filled people that are attempting to lead others that seem to be the opposite of what this verse says.  I love taking people on mission trips. For many its life-changing. For many, it opens their eyes to what a man or woman is. And it's not as much about what they do but who they are. And then when...

            I don’t drink but this election season would be a great excuse to start. Without the usual attempts at humor I would like to submit a scripture that I believe is very relevant to us as we approach November 9, 2016. You see, I am getting a new president. This person will be my president because I have no plans of turning in my United States of America passport and I want to honor the Word of God with my life. But, let’s look at the words that Peter wrote in the New Testament before you decide to unfriend me. 1 Peter 2:13-17 NLT For the Lord’s sake, submit to all human authority—whether the king as head of state ,   14  or the officials he has appointed. For the king has sent them to punish those who do wrong and to honor those who do right. 15  It is God’s will that your honorable lives should silence those ignorant people who make foolish accusations against you.   16  For you are free, yet you are God’s slaves, s...

            I have never been colorblind. When you grow up in a community where there are only white people you tend to notice when someone isn’t white. No exaggeration. There were no bodies other than white bodies! Saying that you are colorblind when you’re really not is kinda cute, kinda silly, kinda self-serving. I learned about black people from, well, black people. I didn’t read an article or see it on the news. I actually met, talked to, and became friends. Here is some of that story.                        The first black person that I remember meeting was Arthur Tyson Jr. (Tookie). We went to high school together and were on the same basketball team. I would say we played on the same team but I didn’t play much. We also had Spanish together. We weren’t really friends because we didn’t really know each other but he was always kind and funny. I ended up not likin...

        As I get older I attempt to pay attention more. Not sure if it is wisdom, the realization of mortality, or some other condition in my brain that causes it but it happens. And as I pay attention I think of times lost, forgotten, and remembered. I try not to go to bed without saying what needs to be said to whoever it needs to be said to. Not bad things, or accusatory things, but things like, “Thank you”, “I appreciate you”, “I love you”. The bad, accusatory, and difficult things I try to pray a few days about before opening my pie-hole!                         So with all that said because it needed to be (see what I did there?), I come to something that needs to be said. I need to tell you about someone. No, really, I need to. 27 years ago this past weekend I met her. To spare you the time of reading a documentary, we got married 27 years ago thi...