And so the daily saga if the flu bug will catch me continues. It looked for awhile this afternoon like my resistance was proving to be futile. All the initial symptoms were starting to stir by the time church started this evening. Thankfully it seems to be passing me by yet again. Perhaps someone prayed that I wouldn't fall prey to the wave of illness. Maybe my body just needed a break from exercise. Whatever happened, it seems like we may live to tell another story for another day.

I caught myself watching CSPAN yet again. The senate committee was discussing the health care bill. This is a sure sign that I have no life. It's just amazing however to watch real legislation being debated without the doors closed. It makes you wonder how our first constitution would be if television existed back in the 1700's. You should know that all the senators went to the extreme in being polite to one another. Even the most violent of tirades in that setting seems to be practiced with politeness. If you read the news then you know this is not always the case.

When did being civil lose out to being rude? It seems as if this was the topic of a blog post some time back yet it still bugs me. The last few months are a showcase of bad manners in full bloom. A congressman yells at the President during a major speech on prime time television. We have other congressmen and congresswomen who attack each other during what was once civilized debate. Is it no wonder that our current congress has approval ratings that reach record lows? It is becoming a dog eat dog world in politics to the place where nothing of real value is accomplished.

We can blame the media it seems. Every television network has at least a few of its commentators who aim for controversy. The radio waves are loaded with hosts on both sides of the political spectrum who exist to only stir up the rhetoric. Today the Internet is a library of harsh words for any who are in opposition. Our elected leaders spend more time talking at each other rather than to each other. We hear the phrase bipartisan a lot. We are learning such a concept no longer exists. It's easier to find fault or fix the blame elsewhere rather than pursue solutions to real issues.

Maybe we should take a long look at our lives as believers. My own tribe of Southern Baptists are in the 30th year of calling each other names. What began on the national level gradually became reality on the state stage. This really isn't so far removed what churches far too often do themselves. We break off into segments based on personal preference or family relation then cast our stones at those outside our group. You might be shocked at some of the things church members say to or about one another. It never ceases to amaze me how ugly and petty people who claim to follow Jesus can become. What is really bothersome is how it eventually just becomes accepted as the norm of behavior.

What we believe never can outweigh how we behave. We may sing of love but it is our choice to express it. We talk about grace but it is left to us to act with grace. We really speak a lot on forgiveness yet keep holding grudges when the expiration date is long since past. In the end, we reap what is sown through our life. What happens is we accomplish little while blaming others for our lack of blessing. Maybe this is one reason why the approval rating of the church is so low among so many. It's a mess only we began and that only we can clean up.

Bro. Trey

We can report that no flu or bug is making itself at home in my body yet. Other than the usual allergies it seems that I am safe for at least another day. My daughter will try to head back to school tomorrow. Plus, no one else in my family shows symptoms as of now. It would be good to say it's clean living that is doing it but sometimes it is better to be lucky than good. My heart goes out to those suffering as whatever this illness is does take a toll on those it attacks. Our school is being ravaged by this run of flu stuff. Let's hope it runs its course without anyone getting significantly ill.

This was promised to be a deeply spiritual and insightful piece. Granted it could be argued if anything here has been either deep or spiritual but we try. While I was out running today it seemed a good idea to offer a glimpse into why I am the way I am. Just over ten years ago my life changed with a simple diagnosis. A doctor finally looked at me and declared that much of my struggle in life was due to Social Anxiety Disorder. It is a comfort to know why you are weird. This was something I suspected but could not quite find a handle to deal with it. Much of my time was taken up with trying to find a reason for some of my behavior. Now there was a tangible issue to work around.

Those who really know me can see the shyness behind the superficial. For years it was said that I didn't like people. That really is not the case at all. The real problem is that ongoing fear that people will not like me. Let me confess that some to much of this disability is self inflicted. It is an easy thing to just remain secluded rather than run risks with people. Yet, some of this is simply the product of choosing the wrong parents. It is not merely a personal decision but it is very much a medical condition. My brain chemicals go off kilter in some social settings. Being cautious is one symptom that plagues me. What you may not know is there are also panic attacks that can overwhelm my system. When the illness was at the worst level it was difficult to even take a breath when the panic kicked in. Obviously this is not a great scenario for one who deals with people on a regular basis.

For years my approach was to think it something evil or sinful. The problem is that there are times when you can make things worse by dumping guilt on top of a real disease. Do not think that there were not and still are not lots of time spent praying to get a handle on this. Several of my bibles are marked up in highlight ink from trying to push through this on my own. Lots of prayers were made with genuine intensity to move past the fears. Yes, there is still a need to do more of this but sometimes it may not be enough. Someone who reads this may think the last few statements display a lack of faith. You are entitled to your opinion. For me the journey to a more healthy life needs more than just more praying and reading.

A major boost of the diagnosis was to begin taking medicine to make my brain act right. The jury is still out on how well this is working. Again, this is not a lack of faith in my opinion. If a person suffers from a chronic but not terminal illness they will probably take medication in order to not feel worse. This is true for my inherited blood pressure problem. Some take medicine to deal with diabetes, arthritis or some other chronic ailment. My dad prescribed a routine of such help to get the brain to function better without the panic attacks. This helps tremendously along with lots of exercise, spiritual discipline and other coping skills. Perhaps my brain will never be totally normal but at least the rampant panic is far less than it once was.

Why this is the topic of tonight goes beyond my understanding. My professional life does tell me that there are more than a few people who struggle with emotional as well as physical disability. Sometimes, it just simply is not the fault of the individual. They did not sin or fail in faith for an ailment to occur. It is left to us though to seek answers on both the medical as well as the theological level. We have to own the obstacles as they affect our spiritual life. Only part of the healing is found in the medical community. Some of moving forward is to simply choose to face up to the limits while moving past them. Some of moving forward is anchoring the values of life in God alone. Some of getting a handle on such things remains in our power to choose to remember what is eternal and what is only temporary. It took a massive amount of hard work, soul searching along with gut honest praying to even reach the point of being at this point of life. Medicine is great but it matters little if not met with God's power in life.

This is something that will remain with me as long as God gives me breath. So far, there are no answers as to why this afflicts me. My best hope is to let Him continue to display some measure of grace in growing beyond the limits. This was my plan today and will be again tomorrow.

Bro. Trey

We will avoid missing an entire week of blogging with this effort tonight. It may not be much but it is a small victory. The only real explanation is that the idea well ran dry for awhile. Possibly this is due to the advance aging of the noggin. Some of the reasons are due to simply running amok some days and nights. Honestly, the idea well is still a tad low so we will just toss out some nuggets and try to end on a high note.

The flu and other assorted bugs are running rampant among us. Most of the kids who gather in my house on Wednesday or Friday afternoons are home ill. My daughter picked it up sometime last Friday night. She will remain home tomorrow to get back to full power. So far the bug is bypassing the rest of the household. Yet there is a nagging idea that our time is coming. This is not a fun thought. This is why my yard got cut today should the wave decide to take me hostage as well. All that can be done is to keep the hands washed while avoiding too many who are sick.

We have an open date this coming Friday night. Our local team has the week off from games until the district schedule opens up in two weeks. We need the break. From 2004-2007 our kids won over fifty games. We are into our second year of struggling. Our players and coaches have talent but we are still searching for the ingredient to consistently win. High school football in Texas is beyond a serious matter. It ranks higher than deer hunting or what type of pickup truck one drives. My belief is that things will pick up over the next two weeks.

It almost feels like fall here! Well, it feels as much like fall as it can in East Texas. There was actually a north wind blowing today while mowing. My dad's house in Minnesota is getting a full gale force of fall. A frost warning was even issued for their area last night. We will be lucky to see frost by late November. But it is showing signs of fall as much of my mowing now involves mulching fallen leaves. We will turn around to run face first into the holidays before we know it. At the least, there is a momentary break in constant heat here.

We will attempt to be deeply spiritual and insightful tomorrow. My first hope is to wake up tomorrow still symptom free. The school will have to do without my daughter for at least one more day. Maybe we can all move past this soon to enjoy the weather.

Bro. Trey

Today was an interesting day. Thankfully, the yard got mowed yesterday prior to the next round of rain. Today was about something close to my heart. Of course, it did not have quite the same surprise as finding a huge tree in my backyard in a prone position. That was an odd moment to be sure. Today was more about children. To be specific, it was about children who have special needs. This always matters to me.

My youngest is autistic. He is still my best bud no matter the diagnosis. He was approaching three years old when we found out the cause behind his behavior. This began with all types of testing that continued after the initial discovery. He is now 13 and a full blooded guy. School is a struggle for him this year. We found that out today. It seems that his attention span is not stretching longer as the days go by. Perhaps he is bored with his work. He may also be having issues as his level of education progresses. Regardless, we will keep moving forward. It goes without saying that my heart overflows with both pride and love even if he is not "normal."

My day revolved around going to the local hospital to see a newborn little guy. He is only a few days old but is already labeled as Down's Syndrome. To me he is a handsome little man. Some may find fault with the mother who is very young. It is her second child. There can be little doubt that the two kids cut against the grain of God's desire for family life. However, we have to accept the fact there are two adorable children now making their journey through our world. And how will we respond to this terrific infant boy who faces untold obstacles in the future?

My response was to slip into the nursery at the hospital to hold him. His possible disabilities do not show up much yet. To me, he is just a good looking boy who will give his family a run for their money. Every child matters. Even Jesus said as much while He was walking among us. They deserve all the love and care than is due them. Sadly, too many children live day to day without that devotion or affirmation. There are far too many children who live in the heritage of hate with parents who never knew love in their own life. What is tragic is how many of these will recycle their pain into their offspring. Did not our Lord suggest that our behavior toward those who are innocent goes a long way in measuring how our heart is for Him?

My mind still has no answers as to why children are born disabled. But there is no doubt that they are very much valuable to our world. My son's life allows me to see other children who have their peculiar set of issues. Today we label them as special needs children. Some are locked into a wheelchair for their duration of life. There are those who have the painful prognosis of a short life span. Some of the kids need constant observation or attention to even the simplest of hygiene matters. It is both heart breaking and thrilling to watch them in action. Many have no idea of their being different. They just live and laugh in spite of the problems. Surely there is a special place in heaven for children such as these. They challenge us to be more than self centered adults whose only interest is of being pleased. We are forced to take stock of our own weirdness along the way. God seems to use such angelic creatures to move us to depend on Him for strength. It works that way for me.

So, my advice to my new young friend is to get ready for the ride of your life. You are welcome into my circle of friends. You matter very much to God just as you are. Isn't that how it should be for all of us?

Bro. Trey

Yes, it's again been a full week without writing on the blog. My readership is probably not out of single digits but you would think there would at least be something to say here. Most of my week was spent recovering from the previous three weeks. Perhaps this makes me sound a bit weak but it was a draining event. It's also possible that the daily deluges of rain did not aid me in my desire to write. It looked to me like we should start brushing up on our ark building skills. I have not heard a final total on the amount of rain we received but it had to be well over six inches. Tomorrow will be another day for mowing in case more rain moves into our area. Maybe it would be better to describe tomorrow as hay cutting with all the precipitation that fell on the grass. This is Texas weather at its finest as summer grudgingly gives way to fall.

We are just underway with a new series of studies on Sunday mornings. It is yet another topical series rather than one that just moves through a book of the Bible. We are talking about being a successful believer especially as it relates to the church. This may be the first time in my tenure here that we tackled this topic in depth. Sure we made reference to some of the ideas in the past but never have we spent ten weeks just learning what makes a healthy believer or church. Some of the ideas to be presented will be tough to digest for some. Some of the subjects will perhaps even stir controversy. But we need to nail down what goes into being a strong congregation during these days. Let's hope our eyes, ears and hearts are open to what God may say to us.

Today we talked about how the active presence of the Lord changes everything about life or church. Our scripture was the story of a paralytic whose friends lowered him down through a roof in order to be delivered. A vibrant congregation is not dependent on the latest fads to bring authentic life. We must recover the amazing truth that God plus nothing means anything can happen. But we also noted we have to be on guard against temptation to do it our self. We can try to be independent of God in our efforts. What happens is that we work harder without developing a dependence on God. Things may improve but at what cost if we leave Him out? We also noted the temptation of idolatry when it comes to these things. A church may say they want more people, more money and more stuff but it's all for selfish reasons. We also noted that we suffer from the impossible syndrome. That is when we look at circumstances and make a conclusion that we just cannot be better than what we are. People usually practice this in a selective fashion. We tend to forget what God's power can accomplish.

We should expect church to be shaped by the activity of God in our midst. The number one reason for such a truth derives from our prayers. We cannot control every situation to make things get bigger or better. Even Jesus prays often in the midst of a hectic schedule. In fact, it seems that it is His praying that makes the miraculous a possibility. When we pray, we connect our circumstance to God's power. When we do better at prayer we will do better at everything else in church life. My hope is we can have this a given part of our spiritual journey. We cannot do worse than praying for God to change things. We cannot do any better than when we do just that.

Bro. Trey

We held the memorial service this morning for the young father killed three weeks ago in that tragic accident. It was a long process that I can only hope offers some closure to those who attended. The weather was about right for such an occasion. Grey skies opened up to to give way to the rain as we moved along. Maybe it is fitting that this day resembled more of the Mississippi region where the man was born. Maybe those who came can take away both hope but also a desire to live out life to its fullest.

This service was never far from my mind these last three weeks. My role evolved over time but it was a fact that my presence would be an active one. Tomorrow is our day for worship as a congregation. Each time I tried to think through tomorrow's words it seemed that the activity of today took precedence. This could be a good sign for those who attend tomorrow. We may end up with a very short sermon! The main point of saying this revolves around our being open to whatever God may guide us to say in such a time. Two other men spoke after me in the memorial. Their words seemed to weave together with mine to create a composite of one man's life. We each talked from the heart but also from our unique perspectives. It is my honor to share that time with them.

Now we move to the days of a new normal coming to pass. Life for one family can never be the same. My hope is that the memories of yesterday will blend with God's genuine hope for today to create an abundant life for tomorrow. The family is fortunate in their bonds to one another. My prayer is their bond with God will also deepen even as they walk through this valley together. The weight of the day will surely affect me beyond the night. Lessons will be learned upon deeper reflection. Hearts will be healed. The night will give way yet again to morning.

My remarks revolved around the idea that God understands our hurts. He is not immune to our suffering. We look at the cross to grasp that amazing idea of His heart being broken for ours. He does not ignore us in our time of loss. He is not apathetic toward our plight. He is not weak so He cannot offer His power for our weakness. The cross says God took the worst of man on Himself so we could encounter His best. He remains an all-powerful God yet He reveals His incredible heart to those who receive it. The cross says there is nothing that can happen to us that He cannot handle. Our faith is not in a distant deity but in One who gave His life away. He knows life can be as tough as nails. He also knows how to guide us into a new normal defined by His grace. May we discover that not just today but in all the days He gives us.

Bro. Trey

Today went off schedule early and remained that way for the duration. My plan is to blame the weatherman for that. He is the one who upped the rain chances for the next few days which put me into mowing early. My house sits on the corner of the street on the way to the city cemetery. So one of my odd duties or desires is to be sure my lawn is mowed prior to funerals. At some point my church will get a new pastor who will have to show the same diligence. At the least he can be sure someone gets the grass cut before a large crowd tramples though on their way to a graveside service. Yes, it sounds peculiar but it is the way of life in a small town.

Small town life is far removed from the big city. Recently I noticed two men standing outside gazing at a big 18 wheeler as it crossed the intersection. From my perspective it appeared they were both displaying envy while debating what type of truck is the best. Only in a rural area does a debate over various truck brands end with serious volume on the merits of each type. We still get that deserted appearance on Sunday afternoons. Everyone is either out on four wheelers or on a boat or just hiding on the couch. Camouflage is not just for hunting here. It can be worn in diverse colors to match the boots or the hat. Such is life here.

We forget that Jesus was also born in a small town. Bethlehem was one of those tiny dots on the map of Judea. Even Nazareth was far from a metropolitan area. Plus, remember how often the gospels remind us that He spent a large part of time away from the crowded city. Things can happen in the smaller locales that may not be possible amid the craziness of urban life. We recently spent the weekend in Fort Worth. This meant taking the approach of offensive driving rather than defensive. It was great having lots of choices when out and about but the traffic did not make it any easier. Being there was fun but being back in my small town was better.

Where we are from goes a long way in shaping who we are. It also plays a huge role in figuring out why we are the way we act or think. My world view is a product of small town life in the 1970's. It's my luck that the view is changing from the years and experiences of life's journey. However, when alone it is still just me as a small town boy trying to get a handle on life. The process of faith also affects how our perspective alters over time. We connect to the eternal God of the universe in Christ by faith. Our minds and hearts become new as we move forward in the adventure of grace. We gain experience that is unlimited in scope and application. Our hearts are made ready for heaven that is beyond imagination. That idea still boggles my mind. Maybe I will be better off finding a small part of heaven to call home. Maybe I won't have to mow for any reason there. My hope is you are being prepared for that final place also. It can happen even if you are from the big city.

Bro. Trey

A holiday can be both a good and bad thing. Labor Day always throws me off for the rest of the week. It's hard enough for me to remember what day it is without having an extra "off" day to confuse me even more. Most of today was spent trying to turn this Tuesday into a Monday. The good part of the day was getting to spend most of it with my son. He had a checkup at the doctor so we just hit the road together. It was two guys in a pickup truck with nothing but road to keep us going. That is a good day even if my memory is faulty.



We headed off to the doctor with more than enough time for travel. Our physician moved twice over the last few years. Now she is about 45 minutes from home. All went well until we arrived at the intersection of the highway and the interstate. There we faced the dreaded one lane traffic due to construction. First, he decided to hop out of the truck to see what the traffic jam was all about. It seems that he referred to the problem as slowpokes. Patience is not his strong suit. Then, we finally got going and as we passed the man holding the slow/stop sign he rolled down his window and yelled "great job" to the worker. My guess is that it was one of the better things this man heard from impatient drivers.



After the doctor finished up we ate a bite then headed back to Longview. I wanted to catch my patient who is recovering from her injuries in that tragic automobile accident. He got to push all the buttons on our elevator ride up to the floor. We visited a short while and he was a super great kid. My fear was he would decide to sit up on her bed which would be unpleasant to say the least for her. Thankfully, we left before any damage was done to those in the room. We made it home without him shouting at anymore people on the side of the road.



Much of my day is still taken up with plans for the memorial service this weekend. It seems that my chief role is to be the go between with family, school and church. I met with a relative who will also be speaking at the funeral on Saturday. My hope and prayer is that all the many issues can come together in a way that is comforting without being a marathon observance. This will be a difficult service tho I am not sure it is the worst funeral of my career. My view is that part of my role is to do all that is possible to comfort the grieving without letting this moment become like a circus. Let me just offer a personal observation based on my professional experience. It is very easy for such an occasion to be overwhelmed with people that feel the need to make a comment at the very least. Most, if not all of these who step forward have the very best of intentions. It's very difficult for a grieving family to say no to those who suddenly feel the urge to share a poem or experience. No doubt that all of these people mean well but it can become a bit much on a family whose foremost desire is to have closure. This puts the minister in a no win situation. It is his main function to guide a family through the elements of grief in as pain free way as possible. Yet sometimes the best of intentions may open up the worst of emotions.



The point of all of this is to offer a glimpse into what it is that your minister deals with in times like this. A good minister wants to blend the personal with the biblical to offer genuine comfort in times of loss. This is my target as the memorial approaches. We don't want families to feel left out of any planning process. My role is to be a source of advice along with the comfort that is needed. Perhaps we may need to clear this post up at a later date. It's not the type of topic one wants to leave unclear. My hope is you will remember that your minister, wherever he is, serves as both Christian comfort and personal assistance. This is how it all comes together for counsel to move us through life's darkest valley.

Bro. Trey

Tonight is a good time for a blog post of odds and ends. In other words, there is no real topic for the evening. It does make me a tad envious to read other blogs that are so eloquent and well written. My best hope is to just avoid needing the spell checker too often on any one post. This was just an interesting few days that may or may not be worth sharing with you. My family got in tonight after a weekend away so life is back to normal. That means the dishwasher is going while clothes are being cleansed in the washer. Those are the usual sounds around my house.

It is my privilege to report that the 150 mile goal is a finished accomplishment. My body held together to get in three more miles this evening. It became clear yesterday that the first 147 miles wore down my running shoes. My body is not built for serious running so a new pair got purchased today to ease the stress on my feet. Most serious runners weight about 150 pounds or so. My last check showed me to still be holding around the 215 mark. That is a lot of added strain on my running shoes. Now we can start mapping out what a decent goal may be for the holiday season.

Part of today was also spent Christmas shopping. Yes, it was over 90 degrees here in Texas but one of the stores held a very good sale. Three of our male relatives are covered for gifts thanks to that sale. One of my rules or habits when shopping for presents is to be sure there is also something for me. The reasoning is that if I am going to fight crowds in a store to buy for others then my reward is to find something for me. This may not be exactly what is known as the giving spirit but it works.

Now it is time to turn my attention to next Sunday. We concluded our series of studies on eschatology yesterday. Each summer usually gets a special topic to take us through these months of heat and vacations. Now it is time for me to pull together another set of studies that will take us to the holiday season. There are preachers much more gifted than I who sketch out their sermons a year in advance. This never works for me. My best approach is to look at the calendar in segments to think through what would be good to study. For example, as the holiday season gets closer then it is time to think about what to say this year. Some holiday seasons it is really helpful to use the church lectionary to map out my ideas. The lectionary simply lists suggested scriptures for a preacher to cover. Some holidays season it may be that a decent idea comes to my mind so I follow along with that.

Let me share with you how the fall series is shaping up. I am researching the most common habits or traits of "successful" churches. This does not mean the focus is on humongous congregations but rather on tools any church can consider. My library has more than a few volumes that speak to this subject. Last week, a list was made of the most common practices of healthy church life. The idea is to whittle that comprehensive list down to the ten most prevalent characteristics. We will then spend the next ten weeks thinking about the overall ideas as they relate to us where we live. The information gathering is a great deal of fun but the hard part comes as we move the studies to the next phase.

A healthy or successful church does not happen without people of that same character. You cannot have unhealthy believers yet still hope against hope for good things to happen. We cannot move any further as a church than we do as individual believers. The very concept of revival refers to followers of Jesus who respond to His challenging call. My prayer is this set of studies will move us from where we are to where God may want us to be. My core thesis is that a church that is enjoyable will not be known for any one niche or definition. Over the last 30 years we went from churches that bus tons of people to the building to the church that sings soft rock contemporary music to the current fad of the cowboy congregation. We will rise or fall based on our response to a living God in our midst. My hope is that we will discover just that over the next few weeks.

Bro. Trey

Thank goodness it's Sunday night. This may still be my favorite time of the week. At least it's a good time to catch my breath after a long day. For some reason my Labor Day weekend usually ends up full of labor. We held an early deacon meeting today along with the rest of the activity. Fortunately there was still time to get three miles closer to my goal of 150 miles. With any luck, we can finish that tomorrow. There was even time to finish up a novel that was purchased yesterday. Soon it will be time to begin the next week of busyness but for now it is quiet.

This was also the first weekend of college football. Again, it may surprise you that my time is not devoted to sitting before the television to watch. Don't think that I didn't keep up but usually its while doing other things around the house. It is the time of the year when sports magazines begin making prediction on who will do what to who during the season. That leads right into another odd habit of mine. When the magazines come in with their predictions they go into a drawer for later review. It always amazes me just how wrong the so called experts can be. So I keep the ones that predict baseball, college football and the NFL. At the end of each season those magazines are reviewed to see just how right or wrong the experts were. For example, this past spring more than one expert declared how the Chicago Cubs would go to the World Series in baseball. As of today, they will not even make the playoffs. Of course, its been over 100 years since they won the Series so this is not terribly surprising.

I decided to do a short and less than expert bit of prognostication myself. Then we will attempt to make at least a small spiritual application. In college football my picks for the top two teams are Florida and Texas. The fact that Oklahoma lost their star quarterback to injury really helped clear that choice. Don't discount USC or Alabama but it appears Florida would need a major meltdown not to repeat as the champions this year. As for the NFL, the decisions are not quite so easy. Most of those experts are choosing New England to win the Super Bowl. But that is a safe choice for most years. Almost none of the magazines are picking our local team in Dallas to make the playoffs. That may be a sign of their impending success. But my four teams at the top are New England, Pittsburgh, New York and Minnesota. It would not surprise me to see a rematch between New England and New York in the Super Bowl. Barring injuries, my choice would be those New York Giants winning again. That's my story to stick with...unless my mind changes at a later date.

Making predictions is really not all that difficult. Just take some basic information with some wild guessing and hope for the best. Do you realize the amount of money that will be wagered or spent on the basis of some expert's prediction? Sometimes we hear stories of the people that win but seldom do we hear the sad tale of those who don't. We should learn to just enjoy the games as they are without all the suspense on every action by our team. The journey can be just as much fun as the destination. It's a lot like life. God does offer glimpses into the future but we still live daily in the present. We take the guidance that He offers to make decisions along the way. Sometimes there may be bumps along the road. On some occasions life can be smooth sailing. We can remember that our God has a destination for us that is bigger than the moment. It's a promise that truth will make the road enjoyable while we move on it. My hope is that you can cheer along the way as God leads you to His best.

Bro. Trey

It seems like there was a good idea at one time tonight for blogging. To be honest, I cannot for the life of me remember what it was. This type of thing happens more and more to me as the aging process kicks in high gear. Perhaps the best thing is to just keep typing until the brain kicks in again. One of the great secrets to success in life is to just fake it until you remember what you are doing. Sometimes just doing that may be good enough to get through a tough spot.

I think that my topic was going to be on my most pressing goal. With any luck, I will complete at least 150 miles of my run/walk by next Monday. Since Memorial Day my total mileage is at 144 miles now. My main obstacle is the schedule at the school for football games. Tomorrow is probably out of question because of games that begin about 5:00 in the afternoon. This leaves me Friday, Sunday and Monday to finish my quest. Now I know that 150 miles really is not that far when spread out over 3 1/2 months but it is a small accomplishment. About two weeks ago was the discovery that it was in reach. Some avid runners do 150 miles in less than a month but if you see me then you know that avid does not describe me. Some days my body does feel good enough to at least not embarrass myself while circling the track. Today, my legs were screaming with each step. Still, it was another day of activity that experts say will pay off in the long run.

One of my first blog posts of 2009 deals with this area of discipline in life. My thought process was something about if we can be so disciplined in some areas of life then why can we not carry it over to our spiritual life? Reaching my small goal will please me no end. But how do I do with things that build up my eternal health? Let me honest to say that my fear is there is much improvement for me in that niche. Believe me when you read that my schedule is often altered to get in the run/walk or some other exercise. But sadly let me tell you that it is less often arranged in the spiritual discipline of life. This is not something that makes me feel very proud.

We are now 2/3 of the way through 2009. There is still hope along with room to get better. Like much in life, that decision remains up to me. Lately the realities of life serve to move me to praying more than usual. You cannot attempt to walk with a family in a life changing loss without looking for divine help. There is even some improvement in financial stewardship for me to report. God does tend to bless those who give back to Him. Most of my time the last two weeks is being spent with others in conversation rather than just being in the office. This time is invaluable in sharing the burdens with others. It also is a tremendous aid in reflecting on my particular journey in this world. But it is with a wistful sigh that there are still places in my life that can stand improvement.

My hope is whoever stumbles across this blog might think through the difference between just faking it and authentic life construction. Again, we more often than not are responsible for the choices we make. We can choose to develop habits that lead to Christ likeness or we can decide to just do nothing. Let's hope that we have the wisdom to choose wisely.

Bro. Trey

It's the small stuff in life that can either trip you up or serve as a bridge to bigger and better things. We will let that be our lesson for the day. Nothing huge happened today but it was a string of small things that added up to the conclusion. Someone once said, "a Christian who is good at small things is no small Christian." There were absolutely on target with that one. We tend to miss some of what God is doing from being so focused on the huge events of life. You need to remember that God is in the small, quiet voice as much as He is in the loud whirlwind times of life. You may find life becomes much larger as you remain open to that.

My wife and daughter started my day locking their keys up in the car while doing a doctor visit. This meant an early and also fast trip to another town to deliver the replacement. It was just a simple mistake of clicking a button that prevented them from continuing on their day. There was also another stop at the hospital for me to check on people. One experienced an unspeakable tragedy of epic proportions. The other is struggling with the eventual advancement of aging. If memory serves, there were no great pieces of wisdom to impart but my just being there was the small thing. A commercial ran tonight which happens to be one of my new favorites. It is for a beverage we cannot mention seeing as Baptists might be a tad perturbed with the reference. The point is that it says it is based in Mexico. Even the name of the beverage is in Spanish. Yet I noticed the small print at the bottom of the television screen that says it originates in New York state! This just seems unnatural to me. Again, this proves that noticing the fine print of life can tell you something.

Who was it that said, "most men live lives of quiet desperation?" Whoever it was knew something about human nature. We do tend to just wait for big things in life without any value for the small. Ever notice when someone does something really big and dumb that it usually begins with acts of smaller stupidity? Very few people just choose to really mess up life without having a reservoir of past mistakes of the tiny variety. Adam and Eve did not just decide to fail God's one request without having made one of two little acts of self interest. David did not just choose on the spur of the moment to make a mess of his world without getting warmed up by doing smaller dumb things. We could tell you of some of my own experiences but maybe you can get the point without that.

However, the same can be said of making successful choices. When we are doing the small things right then we will probably live a big life with God. A golf swing looks like one fluid motion but it is comprised of several small movements in those few seconds. A baseball player does not just approach hitting with any real hope if he chooses to just hack or flail away at pitches. As we put the areas of our life under God's control we will find it affects all of our world. It is just how God operates within us. You decide to do God's best step by step and soon you can be moving consistently in His direction. Now this is not easy but it is that simple. My hope is you will reflect on the smaller areas of your world to see if you are in charge or if you allow God to fill each place in life with His presence. Try it. Who knows, you may like it.

Bro. Trey