The BIG "Five-OH"

I write this on the last day of October. That means, in my feeble way of thinking, that the holidays are upon us. I don't consider today a holiday. Holiday comes from "holy" day and there is nothing holy about Halloween. (Don't get me started!) Before you know it my beautiful wife will be playing Christmas music in the house and in her car. We have already recorded QVC every 25th of the month since July, especially Valerie Parr Hill. I am convinced she is not real, but a runaway stepford wife. So our new house will soon be "festooned" with Christmas trinkets. We will have the annual debate to have Thanksgiving dinner at our house or at the Cracker Barrel, which is my second home. Much will be said about where our silver Christmas tree will be placed for all the world to see(my choice) or hid away from the public. (Marilyn's choice) All in all, I like the season. I love to think about the birth of my Savior and all the stories that run parallel to it. You know, wise men following a star, shepherds watching their flock by night, Charlie Brown choosing the tree for the school play, the repentant Grinch learning to enjoy Christmas again. I have the added pleasure of celebrating other landmarks in our family's life as well. Our 15 year old will turn 16 in November, just a week before Thanksgiving. Our anniversary is December 19 and this year it is monumental. Marilyn and I will be married 25 years. It has been the 10 happiest years of my life. (old joke, but still a good one)

Then the day after New Years Day, when the whole world is tired of the holidays, comes January 2nd. To most of you that means the last day off from work or maybe the day your team plays a bowl game on TV. But for me, it will be more dramatic, or maybe traumatic, than that. I will turn the "Big Five-OH". That's right, January 2, 1957, I was born into this world. I know, I know, your thinking, Ken sure doesn't look that old. You are saying that, aren't you? Well I am, and I am taking it hard. I remember when I turned 40 some people put black balloons and streamers on my mailbox. What do you decorate with at 50? ( I thought of a few things, but I don't want to give any body any ideas.) I really believe your age has a lot to with your attitude and my attitude is a lot younger than 50. The only problem is I have never had anyone ask me, "How old are you "attitudanly" speaking." And now I am getting those dreaded invitations to join AARP. What's next, an invitation to tour the funeral and take a test drive of the latest oblong box?

Well, as He often does, the Lord spoke to me in His Word. I didn't go looking for it. It was just there in my daily Bible reading. "So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." Pslam 90:12 "For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways." Psalm 91:11 "They shall still bear fruit in old age; They shall be fresh and flourishing....He is my rock." I don't mind growing old, just out of date. Thank goodness, my Rock will keep me fresh and will cause me to flourish until He calls me home.
In His Time,
Pastor Ken

The Blessing of the Mundane

Here is another great "Rags to Riches" story from one of our members. I hope they inpire you as they do me.

My "Rags to Riches" story is probably not as dramatic as some, but still quite a blessing to me. A few weeks ago I was out with two of my daughters. We had stopped at BP for gas. As I was beginning to pump my gas, a small, frail, elderly man came up to me. He told me that he was nearly out of gas and had left his wallet at his son's house where they had just been visiting. It seems he thought his wife had his wallet and she thought he had his it. Neither of them did. He asked me for a few dollars so that he could put enough gas in his tank to make it back to his son's house to retrieve the wallet. As circumstances would have it, both of my girls heard his request. Here was my dilemma, I only had $9.00 on me and not much more than that available to me in the bank (it was the day before pay day!). I instantly told the man that I had no cash on me. It's hard to know who to trust these days. I was leery of a little old man! As I turned back to my car, I looked inside at my daughters starring back at me. As I looked at them, I realized two things. I may have only had $9.00 to my name, but he had none. I also realized that my family is the biggest blessing I have. You cannot put any price on that. My children count on me to teach them right from wrong. It is my job as a Christian parent to teach them about God's love and mercy. They need to learn that in the big scary world we live in that not everyone is out to get you, and they need to be more like God and have compassion. To help those in need. They need to learn that if everyone acted as Jesus would, this might not be such a scary place. When I saw them starring back at me I immediately knew what my heart and my head were telling me. I took out the $5.00 bill and walked over to the next pump where by then the little man was starring at his little wife wondering what to do next. I gave him the $5.00. His eyes lit up and I could see the worry drain right off his face. When I returned to the car, my girls looked at me in amazement. They immediately asked why I have given him the last of my money (the other $4.00 went into my gas tank). I told them that God has given me many blessings. I am grateful for the only true treasures that I have my family. I told them that God would want us to help people in need. There may come a time in the future when I am the one at the pump with no wallet, and maybe someone will help me. They then asked me, "Mommy, how do you know he was telling the truth?" My reply, "I don't, but that doesn't change things."I know that's quite a long story, but I felt a need to share it. I didn't have anything miraculous happen to me later that week. I didn't win the Publisher's Clearing House Sweepstakes or find a diamond ring, but nothing horrible happened to me either. We have had a mundane, run-of-the mill week. No one was hurt, sick or died. Our house didn't catch fire and our car didn't blow up. No one lost their job. Our biggest problem was whose turn it was to have the remote. To me that’s the biggest blessing I could hope for in return. With four kids (two teens, a "tween" and a pre-teen, having a run-of-the-mill week is always a blessing, one that you can't put a price on. There are many people out there that weren't so blessed this week. I guess my point is, sometimes the smallest things are the biggest blessings. Often we take that for granted. If you do a good deed this week and nothing "big" happens, just remember, that just may be your blessing.

Keep these great stories coming. It is so great to hear the good things people do for their fellow man when all the news wants to report is the evil. Have a great day!
In His Shadow,
Pastor Ken

Life From a Higher Perspective

I have been observing the world a little closer lately. Since moving closer to the church I have purchased a bigger vehicle. Visibility is more important now than gas mileage. So I traded in my 4 door sedan for a "big" SUV. The emphasis is on big. Now instead of looking into the door panels of the trucks and SUV's around me when I pull up to a light I'm looking over them. Wow, the leaves are changing! The only way I could tell before I traded for the big black beast I am driving now was when the truck in front of my sedan had leaves stuck to its tires. It's beautiful. I live in a scenic part of the world and am priviliged to experience some of all 4 seasons. Autumn is becoming a favorite of mine. It used to be summer, but that was when people didn't look at me in swim trunks and snicker. Spring is nice too, but most of the blooms cause me to stay indoors or pay the respiratory consequences. Winter has never been in the running for my favorite time of year. (Except for Christmas of course.) I am not good at winter sports and Tennessee is more famous for ice than snow. So fall now tops the list. It is as if God takes His creative paintbrush and takes huge sweeping strokes of color against our low rolling hills. The sky is water-colored with beautiful colors of grey and pale blue. But it is the fall foliage that amazes me the most. Scientist have been baffled why the trees turn beautiful shades of orange, red, and yellow. They know how, a decrease in the hours of sunshine coupled with cooler temperatures, they just don't know why. Looking from a purely scientific or meterological standpoint it doesn't make sense. Why this splash of non-essential artistry from otherwise passive Oaks, Elms, and Maples?

I know why. It is God's gift to us. He knows, and so do we, that we are about to endure months of cold, dreary and often sun-less days. The beautiful canvas is His way of saying that He loves beauty and that He is able to bring artistry from a dying leaf. He is still in control no matter how bleak the near future looks. It is true with His greatest creation as well. Just today I was walking into a local home improvement "big box" store to buy some heavy duty garbage cans for the tons of refuse we produce each week. (Don't you wish you lived my glamorous life?) I complained to my wife as I tried to press my hair against my head, "My hair is getting so stiff I can't get it to lay against my head. It must be the shampoo or conditioner we are using." Wisely my wife informed me that it wasn't the brand of hair products that was the problem. She said, "It's the grey hair. Grey hair is stiffer than other hair." I responded "I'm just glad its turning grey and not turning loose." Then I began to be observant again of the scene around me. This time I didn't look at the leaves, but at peoples' hair. There are a lot of people out there with grey hair. I realized that it looked great. Natural. Honorable. Almost like a reward from God for a life well lived. It is His gift to us as we enter into this time in our lives. It is His reminder that something beautiful is ahead of us. We may not have one foot in the grave and the other on a banana peel, but we are closer home than we were. It is as if He is beginning to clothe us with our beautiful white garment that we will wear in His presence from the head down. Autumn can be a beautiful time of the year and a beautiful time of life.
In His Shadow,
Pastor Ken

A Great Rags to Riches Story

I am beginning to get responses from my challenge for people to send me their "Rags to Riches" experiences. (See last blog for details) These are great and I want to begin sharing them with my readers. What a blessing to be a blessing to others. Remember you are never more like your Heavenly Father than when you give. (John 3:16)

My wife and I were looking to replace our minivan with another used vehicle. We felt for many months that God was asking us to consider giving away our van and we prayed over a span of 6 months for God to use the gift to his glory and place the car where someone needed it. This week we found a vehicle to buy at a dealership in town so we talked with the first salesman to greet us...a "random" meeting of strangers. When we discussed the details of a trade, the salesman said he knew a single mom who was in need of a car that she could afford to buy if our price was agreeable. The Lord pressed on our hearts that we would donate the car to the lady. What a blessing we received when we met the lady and found out she had been praying to God for a car that would hold her 3 children and be dependable. And what a further blessing when the salesman confided that he had never witnessed anyone donating a car to anyone. We were able to share with him about the goodness of God and rejoice with the young mom in the dealership showroom about the mercies of our Heavenly Father! And we are now praying about what to give away next!! (As pastor Ken says, "Stuff is stuff!" but Oh how God can use our stuff if we choose to let Him!).

I told you these stories are great. I'll have another story posted real soon. Don't forget to send me your stories.
In His Shadow,
Pastor Ken

"Rags" to Riches

Our oldest son used to say when he was little,"Daddy are you preaching now or telling the truth?" I know what he was trying to say, although anyone outside of the family may think the childish statement was questioning my integrity. That wasn't it at all. (I hope) He knew that many of the stories I told while speaking at church were true but from someone elses experiences. He had never seen these events and thus concluded I was lying. The simple truth is I hear stories all the time from people about God's intervention in their lives. I have head of angelic visits where the messenger from heaven appeared long enough to supply a need and then vanished without a trace. I have heard of sums of money coming from unexpected sources in the precise amount to meet an immediate financial crisis. I have been told of plans suddenly canceled because of an uncertain feeling and the delay or cancellation avoid disaster. These stories come unsolicited in person or by email. Now I'm asking for more stories. I call them "Rags to Riches" stories. "Rags" stands for "random acts of generous service." I have asked our members to be generous to people in unexpected ways. Pick up the tab at a restaurant, pay for someone's gas at the pump, while standing in line at the convenient store add someone's purchases to yours. These random acts of generosity will blow people away. They will immediately try to refuse, but I've encouraged them to stand their ground. The next response will be to ask you what they owe you for such a kind act. We are so conditioned to be suspicious of any act of kindness they will probably think you are trying to kidnap them into a cult or convince them to join a pyramid scheme. That's why it is important to just say "I just wanted to be kind" or "I just wanted to bless someone else because I have been blessed." Then walk away. As you walk away ask God to show them what grace is all about. If they stop and ask you again "Why?" then accept that as a divine appointment to explain grace.
Try this one. The next time you eat out, leave an exaggerated tip regardless of service. Or before you pray for the meal, (you do pray before the meal don't you) ask the server if he or she has any concerns that you may include in your prayer. You will be surprised how that makes a difference in the way they treat you and the way you feel. So if you' re a reader of this blog, I am asking that you email me your random acts of kindness and the reaction you received. But, more importantly, how God blesses you for your generosity. Just respond to this blog or go to www.dallasbaybaptist.com and contact me by email from there.
One last thing. Here is a story of mine. I asked the church to respond by being generous in their giving to the Lord last Sunday. When I got to church each of the three services were smaller than typical. I thought that a lot of people may have stayed away just to avoid the guilt when they didn't participate in "proving the Lord faithful" with their tithe. The Lord blessed by doubling our offering amount that we typically receive on the first Sunday of the month. Seventeen families gave for the first time and many families "caught up" so that they could participate and be blessed by the Lord as He opened the windows of heaven and poured out His blessings. And I'm not just preaching, I'm telling the truth!
In His Shadow,
Pastor Ken