Ideas are hard to come by this evening. Most of our area is gearing up for a winter outbreak that is due here in the morning. Looks like we will receive our coldest temperatures of the season over the next few days. Our neighbors to the west are really in a bit of a panic. You may not know but the Super Bowl is coming up this weekend. This years game is being played in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. The news is reporting on how road crews are preparing for the expected outbreak of winter precipitation. Panic is the common reaction around here when the forecast calls for snow or sleet. Stores become wildly busy with people looking for anything they might need to ride out the weather. I will admit that at one time winter weather bugged me a great deal. My approach now is that it happens then it goes away. No amount of fretting will change that.

Seems like my original non idea concerned how we allow waiting to mess up our emotional or spiritual health. Some people seem to always be waiting for unspecified things to improve or change. This is a fast track to being depressed. Those who practice zen Buddhism do have one idea right. You can only live in the moment God gives you. This is one of those ideas that believers miss sometime. We are taught about our past being forgiven. We hear about a glorious day in the future. We can fall short in living in the right now. God's present tense escapes us while we journey through life.

When you choose to wait for some vague better in your future then you lose out now. There is nothing basically wrong with having a bright future. We all need events to look forward to as we live in the now. Just don't neglect the possibility of the present tense. Trying to live life based on forecasts or predictions is a dangerous approach. You will be basing your existence on ideas that may or may not come true. God's truth is indeed timeless but it works as good right now as it does in its promises. We do not have to spend our time just waiting for a better day. Being open to God's present tense will build us up as we move into His tomorrow.

Bro. Trey

Sunday evenings are really becoming one of my favorite times of the week. Feels good to sit back after a day to think about positive moments with work. It also is a good feeling to feel as if you did your best. I realize not everyone would agree with my opinion. But this day qualifies as a good one. My daughter and a friend led our services in song this morning. This makes me a very lucky dad to work with her at my job. They did a marvelous job with the music. We also did the odd thing by praying for one of my favorite people who recently received a cancer diagnosis. The news is very hopeful but we brought out oil to anoint him for healing. You may not know that this is unusual for Baptists but it did make for a very meaningful moment.

Resting was the first order of business after lunch. Nothing says its Sunday like taking a nap. Even tonight went much better than lately in our study. Now it is time to reflect on the upcoming week even with the promise of extreme winter weather. Very few things do feel much better than the sense of accomplishment. We even have a more relaxed setting to write this blog. Sleep is next on my schedule. I think we will finish writing before that happens.

Our topic this morning revolved around how we define our days as good or bad depending on the circumstances. Isaiah 12 serves as a reminder that there is more to life than the events that make up our activity. Our moods are far too often a reflection of our perception on what does or does not occur in a given period of time. The prophet speaks of a day when God is our measure for our emotions. He writes about our trust in God in how we move past anxiety by our faith. He speaks of joy being a divine constant while we admit our need for God's help. God is Himself the root of real spiritual coping. He makes the difference no matter how our day unfolds.

Moodiness can happen in human beings to be sure. God's people throughout scripture display a full range of emotions. But there is also a constant refrain present in scripture of how our connection with God allows us to be better than how we feel. Feelings can lie to you about any situation. God's truth remains a daily source of divine realism for us. Negative emotions such as fierce anger, envy or anxiety can serve as a measure for our spiritual health. God promises to be present in our heart as we remain close to Him. We may still experience things that would normally lead us to call it a bad day. Spiritual maturity knows that no single event can be understood outside of a divine perspective. It may not be that our day is truly bad but that our heart cannot grasp God's presence in the moment. Rest in the divine purpose of your existence so you can keep growing to see how God is working in every day.

Bro. Trey

Took my youngest to our high school basketball game tonight. It's still just us two guys out and about until tomorrow. Yesterday was a fast trip to the store to replace his CD player in his room. I picked him up a little early from school then went to exercise. He was very much ready to go at the time we discussed. Our first step was to buy our dinner at the game. We ate quite well on french fries and the fixings. Then we sat down to watch some of two games before returning home. I had a blast hanging out with him. We ended up sitting with some of my daughter's friends cheering for our team. They all said hi to him when we took our seats. I think it took him by surprise a little. My youngest does tend to keep to himself a tad when in public. Dad was very pleased to watch him interact as much as he did. Now there is another memory for me to hold on to in the future.

Society refers to children with disabilities as special needs children. Not everyone gets to understand how they operate. Autism places my son in that distinct category. He goes to school with a room full of kids who have varied issues to live with. All of those kids are very special to their families. A few of the schoolmates display very few signs of being different. Some others do live in worlds not of their own making. They are confined to wheelchairs or to the mental limits of their condition. Special really doesn't go far enough to define each one of these people. They are amazing way beyond being unique. You cannot spend any amount of time with them without gaining courage for your own situations. My heart does feel the sadness of wishing they could experience being normal. Admiration would actually be a more common emotion for who they are. These kids probably don't know their limits. They also may not realize the joy they bring to others.

Spending time with my big guy tonight did make me wonder how he would be if normal by our standards. The thought crosses my mind on occasion. Seems like it is the human tendency especially for a dad. He talked to those people that he knows from being in our home. We cheered for our team as they outplayed the opponent. I draped my arm around him as we sat. We even made faces at one another from time to time. My son isn't special just because of his autism. He is special in God's eyes also. God knows he is and always will be to me.

Bro. Trey

Yesterday brought the arrival of my official AARP membership card. Looks as if someone knows my birthday is only a few months away. They are giving me a month or two to respond to the offer. Odds are good that I will take them up on it. Retirement seems like a foreign concept to me but the discounts sound good. Ever notice how many retired people eat breakfast at the IHOP? Saving some money on my trips will be a plus in my book. Maybe there are a few positives about this aging thing.

I seriously doubt that retirement will soon be a part of my vocabulary. Just know that I do envy those fortunate few who can step away from their career at a younger age. Being a minister is not one of those jobs where the finances will allow that to happen very often. It doesn't help that money management is not one of my stronger skills. Social Security is very much in the news lately. Time will tell if the powers that be lets the money run out. I do know that right now the end of life would pay more than the living part. Don't think that finances will play the biggest role in how long ministry continues. There are many more issues involved than money.

Last summer was another wake up call in terms of the brevity of this life. My original plan was to be as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Six rounds of chemo reminds you that our plans come in second to God's will. Not being a minister is far less important than filling life with divine direction. Some church people may not understand this mindset. There is indeed a divine sense of call in my life. I also experience mid course corrections along the way. My sense of vocation is both one of a call but it is also a choice. God uses all kinds of people in all types of jobs besides this one. We tend to forget that. All of us who belong to God receive some measure of invitation to be an instrument of God in this world. Our usefulness to God is not a matter of if but of where.

Retirement will probably have to wait many more years. Not even the AARP can dictate the terms of stepping away from this career. My hope is for all who belong to God that each discovers the unique role you can have. Nothing is more fulfilling than this.

Bro. Trey

Tonight may be short and to the point. I know that you may surprised at any point made during a blog post. Making a point is always my goal even though the results may fall short. Anyway, the issue concerns the juggling of roles we have. Let me make it personal on this Wednesday evening. I often find myself either needing to be two places at once or trying to do two things at once. Last Thursday the problem was doing all of the above but at three places at a time. It would be simple if all this came down to the urgency of each situation. One could just decide on the priority of a given task. Sometimes it seems to be more about who I choose to be rather than what needs to be done.

Juggling the roles of minister and dad can become troublesome on occasion. Having a special needs child only adds to the potential conflict. Baptists traditionally use Wednesday as the time for a mid week gathering. Seems like it's been part of my spiritual journey for as long as I can remember. There are some of these evenings when my two responsibilities overlap for better or worse. Evening is when my youngest usually has the need for more help than others. There are medicines to distribute as well as other personal matters to handle with him. My only solution is to do some of the prayer meeting time with the church then speed off to be a dad. I am grateful for those who step in to lead the actual praying experience upon my departure. Allowing others to lead in these times makes for a stronger congregation. However it does not always soothe my inner turmoil.

Who gets the short end of my attention during these moments? My life long view is that my number one priority is to be a dad. It was my opinion before children and it remains so even now. Regret is a common emotion on nights like this. Odds are good that not everyone will understand my choices. Perhaps very few people understand my actions. I can only hope that my decisions are the best they can be. I am grateful the church has individuals who can take up the slack as they did today. We tend to forget that others can initiate the praying time with as much divine direction as myself.

Our life will take the direction of what matters most to us. Choices are the outcome of reflecting the important people and things in our world. You will find this to be true in your spiritual as well as your secular life. Those who are followers of Jesus add another layer to those decisions. Somethings in our life matter more than others. Authentic spiritual living relates each of our roles back to our relationship with God. Time management draws the back seat to living with divine purpose. Choosing the course of your life with God's purpose will leave a lasting effect in those around you. There will be no regret in that lifestyle.

Bro. Trey

Most of today was spent with my daughter doing car shopping. We are trying to do some upgrades among our automobiles. She has one that she likes so we drove over to Athens for a test drive. This one fits our budget plus it is not nearly as old as her present vehicle. Hopefully she can pick up the new ride this weekend. The two of us tend to do lots of riding when making big purchases. She went with me years ago when house hunting in New Mexico. Realtors stood no chance once she began working her magic. I thought we did pretty good both then and now. College is a good time to drive a reliable car. This one will not be Baylor green but Aggie red. Let's hope all of this works out smoothly.

Report cards also came out today. Our school is now on a semester type system so their appearance is not as often as before. My daughter has a chance to be valedictorian this June. But it was my son's report card that drew my attention. He is right now a straight A student so far this year. His classes are far different from his sister but the grades still count to me. I think we will have to celebrate his achievement soon. He really is making great strides with his schoolwork. Homework is not even a huge conflict any more. Few things are more enjoyable to me than helping him complete his assignments. I am very proud of both children. They give me far more joy than I could ever imagine.

Believers often wrestle with that pride issue. We know that pride is a big no no in our relationship with God. But is there room for a genuine pride that does not cross over into the area of being selfish? I believe we can experience a godly pride that is acceptable in life. My emotion over my kids is marked by a huge sense of gratitude for all God does in and through them. I know full well that God goes beyond my efforts in developing their character. I am overwhelmed at His kindness to all of us. This gives me a reason to be proud yet grateful for His many blessings.

Godly pride recognizes the reality of grace in the accomplishments of our life. Selfish pride lives only for self gratification rather than furthering the divine purpose. Our tendency is to be self serving while seeking recognition or reward. Sinful pride measures self by other people while selectively choosing your ability over another persons shortcoming. This attitude divides people with criticism rather than building up those around you. Pride was the first act of the cosmic downfall of Adam. He gave into pride before he surrendered to his hunger. We do the same thing in our sin or failures. You can certainly feel a divine sense of pride when you recognize God's blessing. Just remember that all you have above nothing comes from Him. You will go much further with that humility than doing it all yourself.

Bro. Trey

Most of today was spent cleaning out drawers and files in the office. It's amazing how much extra stuff accumulates over ten years. Some of files were condensed into one single unit. There is a decent amount that just could not be thrown away. Reviewing the paperwork did help me decide just what could be eliminated. It still saddens me that so many official reports or records needed to be kept. This just says something to me about the human condition even though we are engaged in being the church. We still carry around the sinful nature as human beings even with the wonder of salvation. Even the people of God are able to exhibit less than holy behavior.



I think often of what it means to be human in light of our heavenly calling. We live here and now on planet earth. But we also speak of being citizens of an eternal relationship. Tension is the inevitable consequence of this truth. Forgetting that conflict between our two realities is the best bet for failing at either. The apostle Paul refers to this as the flesh and spirit disconnect. He writes that our sinful tendencies come into conflict with God's purpose for living. There is no time limit on how long this happens. Age does not lessen this battle. Being fully human involves recognizing our human frailty while also receiving help from God. It calls for the best of both worlds.



One science fiction show is dealing with idea of being human. Originally it aired on the British channel. You can watch another version set in America. The idea is about a trio of people with differing monster type conditions. But the basic premise concerns how these three individuals are striving to hold on to their humanity. They are not totally human any longer so how will they live? Obviously this is not a strictly Christian series but the question remains universal. We need to always take into account our human side in life. Sin often arises even when you believe you are the most spiritual. Keep your attention set on the eternal so you can be a fully developed person. All of us live with monstrous tendencies. But the presence of God within us moves us beyond the dark side.

We just resumed typing after a power outage. Seems like a good sign to end this post. Maybe we will come back to more ideas on being a spiritual human being. My guess is we can make better sense of this without the lights going out.

Bro. Trey

A new week dawns tomorrow. Time waits for no one regardless of how much we may wish it would slow down. I would say that my sermon this morning went very well but it was on pride. Bragging on a message like that seems a bit dangerous. Such topics often have a very fine line between trying to say something and just fussing. Being challenged is a good thing. It really is a great temptation to stick with the comfortable. Working through Isaiah requires me to stretch what little brain may be left. I just hope some real good comes from a better understanding of his message. We could all use some renewal of our soul.

We are now going to be swamped with Super Bowl news for the next two weeks. I do think it's kinda cool that it will be in the Dallas area this year. The big game takes place right next to Rangers Ballpark in Arlington. My two teams who I predicted would play are both out of the playoffs. At least my teams made it into the tournament. Some highly paid experts ended up getting very few of their picks correct. Now we also deal with who will show up for Sunday night church during the Super Bowl. We will deal with this topic on another night but just know it always happens. I don't know if God has a big stake in all of this but we sure tend to make it a bit of a drama.

Today also included another meeting. Let me report that it went well. My view of meetings is that they are a necessary evil. Sometimes they are necessary. Far too often they are evil. I went through my files tonight in relation to the meeting. Ten years of material adds up to nearly a foot of file folders. That just seems to be a bit much but it was all needed at the time. Don't get me wrong. Meetings can be important. Just remember that sometimes they are more about responding to a crisis rather than moving in a divine direction. Heaven will surely be a place where we won't have any more meetings. The other place may be one continuous gathering to discuss the inane. Still, it was a good meeting tonight from my perspective.

Who knows what this week will bring? Opportunity awaits us to make this a good week no matter what may happen. Humility goes a long way in remaining open to God's direction. It will help us accept His invitation to greatness. Don't let pride make you resistant in being available to join God at work this week. Remember that the enemy will use all of his tools to hinder your maturity. His chief weapon is in trying to make us believe we do not need God's help. You can remain religious but just don't take God seriously. That was his message to Adam and Eve long ago. It is still his message to us today.

Bro. Trey

It is a late night for blogging here. Spent most of the evening doing dad stuff around the house. Then sat with daughter to watch some of her latest DVD. NCIS is now one of my favorite television programs. I discovered it about two years ago while watching reruns on some cable channel. The show aired for about four years prior to my finding it. You can watch hour upon hour of episodes if you look carefully. Basically it is a crime show focusing on military matters. We joke that most of the shows begin with a naval petty officer being murdered. One wonders if there are any left in our navy at the rate they are dropping each week. I can usually identify the bad guy within a few minutes just from having watched so much. Now it is becoming an event for the family.

My daughter recently became a fanatic of the show. We own three DVD collections that cover those first years. Not only do we watch episodes but we also now watch the extras that come with the collection. Even my youngest will get in on the act. He knows right away when dad is watching NCIS. Now he is not anywhere near the fan that his dad and sister are. But we do have something else to enjoy together. Maybe it helps that my post cancer hair is almost the color of the central character. I even refer to the way my clothes are matched together as my "Gibbs" look. My view is that it's just a fun thing for us to do. We are also turning some of her classmates into fans. This all may sound silly but we enjoy having another thing in common.

Connecting with people is a process. One writer lists several steps or levels in relationships. We usually move from avoidance to greetings as the first action. All this means is that you learn the names of people around you. Then you discover both common and separate interests. This may include hobbies, experiences or just anything in life. Just because some of the interests are different does not mean you end the relationship. Truly connecting involves the three other aspects of relating. One of these is caring. Here you begin to be concerned about what another person feels or experiences. You also are willing to do what you can in times of need. The second idea is when you share who you are to another person. You take the risk of allowing the person behind the pretending out with another. The last and highest act of relating is intimacy. This does not mean the physical action but refers to emotional or even spiritual openness. Here is where you have no boundaries with a person. Everything is out and in the open no matter how painful or dark.

Most people live within those first four areas of relationships. We never get past what we do or do not have in common. Energy is required to move into those last three areas. Sometimes we are afraid of the risks involved with opening up. Other times we just may choose to remain in the shallow end in connecting. Christian living operates more out of the deeper emotions than the easy. God models this behavior throughout scripture. The ultimate act of his commitment obvious happens in Jesus. His heart is laid bare in the giving of His son. God runs the risk of our rejection even as He shows us the depth of His love. We never ever need wonder how God feels about us. His connecting is far more than common interests. Our invitation is to realize the depth of intimacy found in Jesus. He always offers that knowledge to us. Will we take Him up on this great opportunity?

Bro. Trey

Some days just go better than others. There are occasions when we have some control over what is going on in our world. It never ceases to amaze me how often people will make bad decisions which then direct the course of life. Doing the right thing is never out of style. Now there are other times when events surprise you. This can be good or it can be bad. Here is the moment when only you can choose how you respond. Let me come back to the idea of this being a very good day. It was busy but the results are in the plus category.

My youngest had a meeting at school concerning a possible class outing to San Antonio. Someone built a theme park specifically suited for people with special needs. So today I made my way to learn more about this excursion. We all decided to attempt this trip toward the end of May. He is quite the excited young man now. Tonight he spent time looking at the website of this park. His calendar now has his hand written reminder about when we are going. Yes, I will be going unless something falls through. You could not keep me from it after watching his enthusiasm about going. The one drawback will be his constant reminders between now and then. It is still more than worth it to share his joy.

My daughter goes to college next year. She and her future roommate applied for housing at a residence college there on campus. Exclusive is the term that comes to mind when thinking about the arrangement. We refer to the place as "Hogwarts" after the Harry Potter movies. The students eat together, study together and build relationships over their college years. Our mailbox included a letter from this residence today. It took all of my effort not to open it before she saw it. We learned that she is a finalist for a room there. Emotions ran amok yet again at home upon receiving this news. Very little is better in life than sharing good news with your children.

Here comes the application. Being a part of good things with others is a highlight of human experience. Believers can do this often in relating God's goodness to people. You do not have to be a bible scholar to just let others know how you believe. All that is required is to be real about your relationship with God. No one can argue your journey of faith. When you talk about the good news in your life then it builds a bridge for others to cross. Maybe you have that fear of rejection if someone hears your story in a negative light. Just remember you already live with divine acceptance. Faith is part of your life so you can feel natural talking about it. You may find that your good news will enable others to discover it for themselves.

Bro. Trey

How about a fast preview of where we are heading on Sunday? Who knows? This may be better than what comes out during church. Don't remember if I mentioned our working through the book of Isaiah on Sunday mornings. This is part of my trying to stretch my thought process beyond the usual material. Creativity does not come easy for me. Many pastors far better than me are able to create all manner of intriguing themes or titles for their studies. My brain usually just wants to wrap around the biblical material which is fine but the catchy names for these studies become second thoughts. The best that I can do is let you know that my main idea is to talk about ways to get the new year started off right. My approach is to do this by looking through Isaiah at how his listeners got it all wrong.

Two out of the three studies were somewhat easy to outline. One took more thinking to reach a point where the message cleared up some. When you add our recent awful weather on Sundays then you can see how hard it can be. Like I said recently, you would think that God would be sure that Texas has decent weather on church days. We got past the dreariness and tried to relate my discoveries the best we can. This week will be one of those weeks where my mind is having to work out a new study for me. One can only hope that it will be relatively easy to follow or apply. My saying all of this is not meant to give you pause as far as the message goes. It is just my telling you that I am involved in the topic as well.

My week of preparation began with a sense that we needed one more look at the root problems of the people of God in Isaiah. It just seemed to me that my work so far did not fully connect with why this group got so far off track. So my study got underway with Bibles open to read and reflect on what was going on and why. I knew that the second chapter spoke to God's people in that time so it seemed natural that it would speak to ours. Reading the words gave way to thinking about the message. No one would really be surprised to discover that the main issue was pride or arrogance. This is one of the constant themes in scripture. You can find human beings falling out of line with God's best simply because they believe they know better than God. Here is the one train of thought that runs from Genesis to Revelation. We resist God because we just don't think we need Him.

Sunday will hopefully lead us to deal with this very real problem we have with pride. I also plan to talk about how we move past it. Relationships often become fractured due to pride. Maturity will never become a reality until we see our arrogance as genuine sin. God's best can not ever become a pattern of living while we think we know best how to live. What amazes me is how much God does want to help us with this evil to bring us nearer to Him. He invites us to lay down our self imposed limits so we can find wholeness with Him. I know just how much my heart needs this assistance. Maybe we can all uncover the greater presence of God each day.

Bro. Trey

I recently described myself to someone as a cancer survivor. This is still all very new to me. My journey was short in comparison to many who struggle with this disease. Seems like we went from zero to sixty then back again before we knew it. Just referring to my status as a survivor gives me the occasion to pause. So many of my fellow travelers take this trip for years rather than months. I can admit that it almost seems unfair to place myself in that category. Six months of my life will always be defined by that illness. One thing is very true. You are never the same after you go through this experience.

My body still is paying the price for all of the chemicals poured into my system. Sometimes the treatment can be harder on you than the cure. Multiple rounds of chemo along with other medications really do a number on you. Don't take this wrong yet again. My belief is that chemo along with God's kindness worked out my new life as a survivor. Just be assured that the various poisons within the therapy took its toll. My main focus is currently on doing lots of cardio exercise. Weather conditions are taking me inside for this during winter. I doubt that my physical condition will ever be where it was before diagnosis. Age plays a big factor in this but so will the after effects of chemo. This is not complaining but a simple explanation for where I am.

My mental faculties are not where they were. Intelligence may not ever be one of my stronger traits but it is even less now. Typing out this blog reminds me of my limits. Reaching the conclusion of my regular posting takes even longer than before. Spelling is one of those things where I notice it. Writing takes more concentration now than then. Words are sometimes hard to come by when doing this. What once would flow on the page now goes through stops and starts. Chemo brain is a very real issue for many who are subjected to the chemicals. Memory lapses or other problems display their presence regularly. One just has to work harder to keep the mind focused. It's just another thing to overcome.

Emotions are a curious thing. This survivor finds a greater capacity to feel stronger about various things. I recently was watching a somewhat silly show on television but could feel myself being almost weepy. My natural inclination is to observe such behavior for a logical reason for its existence. No decent explanation came to mind. But it is also true that a greater ability to laugh is also present. Jim Valvano said near the end of a losing battle with cancer that tears and laughter are a great sign of life. Connecting emotionally keeps the ties with life growing. Finding a new balance for all of this remains a fascinating part of the journey.

Big events in life will always change you. Even the collection of smaller moments will alter who you are. Thankfully, the darkest days of this disease are behind me. No one can escape such a trip unscathed. Even being open like this would be foreign to me before my cancer. Whether this is good or bad can be open to discussion. God's presence does not just happen at those moments. Being intentional about Him is the key to growth in grace. I sometimes miss who I once was. But there is no going back to the previous condition. All one can do is grip tightly to God no matter where life takes you. Faith may not magically make it all better. It does give you the means to living better than where you are. This is true for my journey. May it be true for yours.

Bro. Trey

School was out today for Martin Luther King observance. My youngest may not know why he was out but he was glad to be home. He also gets a break on Wednesday when he has early release from school. He does like school but only in proper doses. My guess is that most kids may not know all of the reasons behind the three day weekend. Their emotion is also geared more toward just being out. I can barely remember the assassination of King but there is a little something in my memory. My journey in matters of race began early in my school years. First and second grade school was before integration. Not sure that I gave it much thought after that. We all just went to school together.

This is not to say there were not problems from time to time. I recall some conflict during those years probably rooted in racial tension. We did avoid some of the ugly incidents of other schools or towns. Some places in the south still have real issues with race. It seems like some of those areas still live in the past before civil rights. Don't get me wrong. There is no doubt in my mind that my personal struggles with prejudice continue. Pride would tell me that my outlook is more developed but it will also disguise any sin that remains.

We grew up with basically two ethnic groups. Our kids today live among a very diverse mix. My school actually has more Hispanics than African Americans. One can only hope that this generation gains a better idea on how to live with different people. Racism may or may not be healed by time. Odds are very good that moving past this will take real effort. Educators say that learning is the key to dealing with this evil. People who deal with social issues say it will take experiments to show us how wrong is this behavior. Government tells us that we need to redistribute money for all to have their opportunity. Time is thus far not on the side of any of the above.

My answer is of course going to be spiritual in nature. It will be specifically Christian in orientation. Forgiveness is a good place to start. This means admitting our hangups when it comes to people who are different. We may need God's help to overcome our tendency toward this sin. People are hard enough to love without adding extra obstacles to the process. Starting one person at a time is probably best for us. Saying that you care about all people without dealing with specifics is unhealthy if not untrue. We can only try to be God's people to everyone who crosses our path. One person at a time is His method for dealing with anyone no matter their background. When we experience His peace then we will be finally able to give it away to others.

Bro. Trey

It seemed like a good idea to let a few days pass before writing on the blog again. Ideas can be difficult to come by for me. One temptation is to simply choose a news item as a source for material. A drawback to that approach is how many other people write much better than I on said topics. My two cents worth can pale in comparison. Another idea would be to deal with current events in the religious world. The trouble with that is in trying to explain all of the odd ways we Baptists tend to behave. Sometimes the problem would be in explaining how we do not behave. Your reason for landing on this blog may be different than others who come here. Let me just say again that my goal is to just write on stuff that interests me. There are times when the thrust of the writing requires a few days to complete. It is also true that a simple paragraph would suffice on occasion.

Writers tend to deal with whatever interests them. Stephen King is a master at the scary story. He said that what intrigues his thought process is how ordinary things in life can be turned upside down in ways that frighten us. Mystery authors often come from a background that adds depth to their work. Michael Connolly worked in journalism before he began writing terrific mystery books. Historians obviously write about history. H.W. Brands is both a history professor as well as an acclaimed biographer. Sportswriters also will pen novels or other books related to their field of interest. You are probably getting the idea by now. Motivation in writing springs from an individual personal interest.

One of my favorite people wrote me following my Thursday posting. This is the one where I mention that talking about my children may become redundant. My thought was that it may be time to curtail my writing about them. The note spurred my thinking about topics and such. God knows the reason you read so much of them here is because much of my life is wrapped up in them. My job as a dad comes before whatever job pays the bills. I do thank God that my work allows me more time to be a father. This is especially true when one has a special needs child. We can do many things together even when doing work stuff. He knows what it is to go with dad to visit someone in the hospital or other events. Anyway, my original point is that perhaps we need some balance here but not talking about them is impossible.

Struggling to remain fresh here is a constant issue. Avoiding the tendency to fall back on the familiar does matter to me. However, I cannot just avoid talking about things that motivate me on a daily basis. How could this possibly be true to my experience? We can still work on matters of grammar and the like. But you will no doubt find familiar themes repeated on a regular basis. Many thanks to my good friend for reminding me of what matters. God has ways of giving you a kick in the pants when warranted. We are always better for it.

Bro. Trey

Someone mentioned lately that many of these posts revolve around my children. I am guilty as charged. But it is also possible that there are too many references to them. Maybe we can avoid being so dependent on them as ideas. Must be like how sports can be used too often in making a point. The problem is that I enjoy being a dad. God allowed me to have two amazing kids. Much of my world does revolve around them. My plan all along was to do everything possible to be at least a decent dad. What could not be expected is how much you can learn from them for yourself.

Family is often the laboratory of living your faith. It's easy to pretend you are spiritual for an hour or so at church. Impossible is keeping up a facade of faith when at home. The ones who spend the most time with you will know just how genuine is your spiritual life. You are as close to the real you at home where acting religious is not needed. Another of my goals in fatherhood was to allow my kids to be who they are. There would be no acting more spiritual than most for them just be cause of dad's job. It is working as both are well rounded people who may still make the occasional mistake but also know how to start over.

You know that my youngest is a special needs child. His condition falls within the autism spectrum. Every day is an opportunity to learn something from him. I don't know if my mind can conceive of him being normal. Every person is different by design. His is just more pronounced than most. Being different is not something he seems to recognize. He is too busy enjoying the life God is giving him. This is a good lesson for me to remember.

We adults usually complicate our world for no good reason. Seems like we tend to lose a childlike focus in our life. Sharing is something we ask of our children but fail miserable to do ourselves. Parents scold kids for not being polite to others while we exhibit the most awful rudeness to other adults. Treating others with respect is not just something for the young. Our world could sure use a good dose of respect and graciousness. Jesus displays a heart for children on several occasions in scripture. Grown ups can be much more difficult to understand than the very young. Let's not make things harder on us than the already are. My guess is that childlike faith works for those who are young as well as those who are older.

Bro. Trey

Wednesdays are the other church day for most Baptist churches. It is true for us here. Our attendance is usually lower in some areas but is also higher in others. We also try out different things at the mid week time. This may be why these gatherings can be informal yet invaluable. I do not know when the tradition of the Wednesday meeting began. I just know that I cannot remember a time when there wasn't such an event. Much of what we do changed over the years. There will always be part of it that remains the same.

My memory does not include worship experiences for students while growing up. Maybe there were such things but my mind cannot recall any. There were at least forty if not fifty students in our building tonight for church. They at least allow me to stick my head in even at my age. We had at least as many in the student service as we did total last Sunday with winter weather. This is a reason to celebrate in my mind. You cannot just do the same stuff at every gathering any longer. Young people need a time set apart to do their thing. Losing this generation is not an option. The church cannot afford to relegate student ministry to second tier status. Our congregation will do all we can to enable young people to mature in their faith even if it is difficult.

We also do stuff for the school age children. Bragging on the people who work with these could never go overboard. My generation usually went to mission type studies on Wednesdays. I am grateful for all those adults taught me back then. Now you can do almost anything in children ministry. You just have to want to try to touch their lives. One of my most favorite times happens after their meeting ends. I make it a point to be in my office with the door open prior to the conclusion of the study. Some nights my office will fill up with quite a few children just wandering by here. I want them to have the idea that a minister is always available to them. They need a memory of someone willing to just sit or be silly with them. Maybe such an experience will stay with them as they get older.

We do two adult classes on Wednesdays. One is a bible study who is led by a gifted teacher in our congregation. My task is to lead prayer meeting for other adults. If you read here very much then you know my conviction that praying does matter. Some pastors will lead a study followed by a brief prayer time. Our purpose here is to dig into the needs of people who need intercession. I want it to be more than an organ recital where we hear about various ailments. We do have fun while working through this time of information. We also leave with a greater understanding of those on our prayer list. I can say with humility that we often hear of wonderful things happening in the lives of those in need. Gratitude is my most common emotion during this time. God never ceases to amaze me with answers to our requests.

Wednesday is always a good time for refreshing. My one complaint may be about how too many believers miss this opportunity to catch their spiritual breath. My spiritual journey is richer because of making time to refocus. One can only hope we continue to realize every chance we get to experience God's presence together.

Bro. Trey

Losing weight sure does seem more difficult that it once was. Right now that is one of my goals for myself. I added about fifteen pounds during the process of being sick. That does sound strange but it is true. It would be easy to blame the steroid part of my therapy. Eating became one of those side effect issues in the four month period. My attempts to exercise fell short of my tendency to order most everything on the menu. So part of the blame must go to me. No one forced me to indulge even with increasing hunger urges. It took me about five rounds to find ways to eat without overdoing it. This is what my current efforts are trying to fix.

You cannot remain in the status quo while working to get healthier. Exercise is a must. My opinion is that no one can just diet alone to reach personal goals. Walking at a slow pace is a good start but there is always the need to improve your time. Intentional working out is the method to getting rid of these fifteen pounds. Nutrition matters but it is not usually enough by itself. But you cannot just workout while eating everything in sight. All of this works together to your benefit. Now my belief on diet does not mean you only take in bland food. It means you know what you are eating before you begin. Rest matters with all of this. As age fifty approaches it becomes clear the need for recovery time. It may sound like the odd part of this equation but it is very true.

I am pretty sure that you are ready for an application beyond my physical condition. Your spiritual health is very much the same. No one single practice is enough to round out your maturity. Baptists tend to look toward bible study as their one form of growth. Bible study is good but it will always be better when tied to your personal prayer life. Building your prayers upon what you gain from scripture just adds to its effectiveness. This approach also gives you extra motivation to reflect on what God is saying. Odds are good that if He says it to you then you should say it to another person in need. We are not meant to just keep our growth locked away in private. God's intent is for us to put our discoveries into action to help others grow. Balance is the key to solid spiritual maturity.

One of my life goals in ministry is for others to become all God created them to be. Not everyone gets that. I cannot grow for another person no matter how much I try. No one can lose weight for me regardless of the effort. Each of us owns our life. We are where we are on the basis of our experience with God. He is always willing to help us in our journey. Sometimes it may be a bit painful while our extra stuff falls away. We may even have some growing pain as our heart is stretched. The good news is that you can continue learning as long as you have breath. This is my intention. What is yours?

Bro. Trey

Tonight may be just a collection of thoughts. Lots of little things we missed talking about but they may not be worth a single setting. Sometimes the news moves slowly during the week. Other times you can find something new daily. Seems like my interest in news began very early on when I was young. Most of my time on line is spent reading various news outlets. My time doing this is probably more than is necessary. This is something for me to confess. Just seems to me that part of understanding our world demands being able to think about what happens. It is far too easy to listen or read other people who interpret the news. Thinking independently about your world is one of the keys to understanding it.

Just last week the big story was about a homeless man who possesses a remarkable voice. He was once in radio but lost everything when he allowed his addictions to drive his life. CNN ran a story on the man who made the discovery while driving around town. This person works in the news field. He is also a man of faith. His response to his find was to credit God with guiding him to Ted Williams who lived on the streets. We don't often hear that side of the story. You probably won't read much on this person who made the original video. Our media is focused mostly on a homeless man's recovery. But no one would even know this story but for one man who followed God's direction in the first place.

This story quickly fell by the wayside in the aftermath of the shooting that took place on Saturday. A congresswoman remains in intensive care after a mentally disturbed young man shot her in the head. You should remember that her survival so far is already in the miracle area. We do write on occasion here of political issues. I do not expect everyone to agree with me when it occurs. Now both sides of the political spectrum are busily pointing fingers at the other side for this tragedy. Why is it so hard to accept that a single person might do this on his own? Maybe this has nothing to do with the political rhetoric of our day? You will find me advocating that all of this yelling at one another may boost profits for either side but it does nothing to deal honestly with our problems. You may also remember me saying that ugliness in politics is not new for our country. History says that we do not have a proud legacy of civil discourse. We will wait and see if the talk of being more civil ever gets past nice sentiments.

News can show us at our best and at our worst. We are a people capable of great acts of kindness toward each other. We are also a people who can leave a trail of brokenness when our sinful side appears. All manner of people around us live with needs or pain. You and I can choose to part of the solution one person at a time. Perhaps if we engage in helping others be better then our news will not be so dire. We can help others regain their purpose rather than waiting for someone else to do it. Just try it to see how it goes.

Bro. Trey

Yes. It did snow here today. Havoc reigned on the streets here in my corner of Texas. It wasn't too bad as far as winter weather goes. There are much worse winter events on record. Rain was first during the morning. Snow arrived sometime after lunch. It's a good thing that it did snow as I somewhat shut down church for the night. I know people well enough to realize that if there was any chance of frozen stuff that no one would show up. Can't say that I blame them one bit. Let me say thanks to all who braved the cold rain this morning to be in church. You are appreciated for your efforts. It is not easy to deal with the weather on days like this. Sometimes the numbers are not a reflection of the day.

Snow in our part of Texas is rare. We may get one or two days per season where it snows enough to matter. Ice is not welcome at any time. I still remember a few horrific ice storms around here. Give me snow anytime over the treacherous sleet. Facebook is loaded tonight with photos of people around here who spent time in the snowfall. Kids still find snow to be magical here. Some of that is probably tied to the hope that school will be canceled from the driving conditions. Cancellations are the norm in the northern part of our area for tomorrow. Buses tend to struggle on the backroads that make up our geography. Our school will start two hours late in the morning. You sometimes have to take what you can get.

My youngest was the first to notice the falling flakes. He is our local weatherman around the house. One of his tendencies is to watch his IPad for the weather information. You can always expect him to know if severe weather is possible. We went outside to stand in the snow for awhile. Just know that he wore a winter coat with gloves while also sporting shorts and sandals. His time outside was very short. It just does my heart good to watch him enjoy being out in the snow. Goes back to that whole magical aspect of winter weather. Now it did not do enough to cause major damage or power outages. That would be a disaster for him. It also means that it would be a disaster for me. So we got to enjoy the winter scene along with his video games. Makes for a happier day.

My advice is just go with the flow when the weather or any aspect of life turns bad. You cannot change the weather. Many times you cannot change the current condition by yourself. We spend an awful lot of time being upset over the moment. Maybe your time is best spent doing other things. Try to spend less time being mad at whatever happens. You will end up with much more energy for gaining a fresh vision of what God is doing. It may not make the situation any easier but you will avoid becoming bitter or angry. You can't start to mature until that frustration passes. This doesn't make you a victim but it is the first step to winning the real battle in crises. Somedays the snow will fall. Everyday is when God can have the last word.

Bro. Trey

Why must it always be a Sunday when bad weather hits? You would think God would be sure to have ugly winter weather arriving early in the week rather than mess up a perfectly good Sunday. Our forecast is still taking shape but it does not look promising for us. I will be happy if we can just avoid the sleet this round. Snow never bothers me. We get so little of it here in Texas that it is more event than trouble. Cold rain can be even worse. You just get wet without any benefit of seeing snow fall. Right now it appears that we will get all three. One can only pray that God will mercifully allow us to miss the ugly part.

Church people and weather make an interesting combination. It's said that it takes a barrel full of water to make someone a Baptist but only a few drops to keep them away. Winter weather always brings out odd behavior. Snow and other winter weather was always a possibility when living in the Panhandle. The same people who drove in the weather on Saturday to get to the store would be the ones wanting to know if church was cancelled. My attitude was if you can drive to the store on one day then you can get to church the next day. Guess that makes me sound a bit mean but it's how I viewed it.

All you can do is plan for Sunday with no promise that the storm will pass us by. There are indeed times when all you can do is cancel services due to weather. It was a hurricane that got us a few years ago. You can trust that people will know their limits in terms of driving in a wintry mix. I do trust that God knows what He is doing when it comes to winter storms. You can only hope that it does not cause damage for anyone. I especially desire that it not get to a point where we lose power. That will make things even more difficult at my house. Let us pray for the best scenario this weekend. There is still time for the weatherman to be wrong.

Bro. Trey

My excitement of today came from an unremarkable event for most people. I got a haircut. This is my first one since April, 2010. Have to say that it feels pretty much as I remember it. The last time of cutting hair took place when I took the shears to my head during chemo. At the time it seemed a better option than the shedding that was happening. My hair really wasn't too long today but it needed some work done. So I took my youngest out of school a little early so we could be the rush to the barber. We sat in chairs next to one another as the ladies worked their magic on us. He did a great job not wiggling too much during the process. He is quite the handsome fellow now.

Experts say that it takes some time for hair growth to really get back to normal. Right now it does look as if the gray to white color is winning the battle. I know that it really looked white in the mirror this afternoon. I still say that there will be happiness as long as the hair returns. Bald is definitely not a look for me. Let me confess though to enjoying the short haircut. You would need to know that my high school years are known for the very long hairstyle. I cannot begin to imagine how I kept up with all of it. There is that part of me that would let it grow out that length again but so far the temptation is being resisted.

This is one of the curious things about going through chemotherapy. It is also a very good thing to me. People tend to stop to ask me about my hair a lot. They noticed when it was shaved off during the summer. My hat was never very far from me when bald. Now people are kind enough to mention how the hair is coming back. It may not be the same color but it does draw attention. Perhaps for them it is a sign of being in remission from cancer. This is why it is a good thing to me. It serves as a reminder of God's grace in overcoming illness. It says that I am getting healthier day by day.

This leads to the obvious question of the night. What do people notice about you in terms of being spiritually healthy? There is much more to the answer than simply saying that you go to church regularly. I think there is even more to this than reciting your doctrinal beliefs. Character is what people tend to notice first. Here is where the idea of spiritual fruit comes into play. People notice when you exhibit love, joy, peace and the other marks of God's presence. Others may debate you on what you believe but they can only observe how you live. How you model the personality of Jesus leaves a lasting impact as you live. No one can do this for you. Mean spirited believers are the worst advertisement for being a Christian. Others will take into account your behavior. I have a hunch that God will as well.

Bro. Trey

Being a Baptist usually means that you take scripture very seriously. After all, we do tend to dominate the "bible belt" in terms of numbers. Our history speaks of our devotion to the Bible. You can find countless official statements by Baptist groups to illustrate our conviction to God's truth. We may not always do so well in applying scripture but there is little doubt of our tendency to thump the Bible as our basis of faith. You should understand that we Baptists do not gravitate toward the traditional creeds on doctrinal issues. Our pattern is to utilize confessions of faith to serve as our model. Try telling a Baptist what to believe and you may not live to tell about it. This is all good but we still tend to have weaknesses in our approach.

My guess is that ministers of every generation tend to go on and on about how the average layperson struggles with biblical knowledge. It's also my opinion that our concerns will continue to flourish in our Internet age. Anything a person wants to know is only a search and click away. Our grasp of google may outweigh our awareness of basic gospel truth. Our normal answer to such dilemmas lead us to fear anything that is not related to scripture. Motivation from anxiety seldom serves a noble purpose. Part of spiritual maturity is knowing how to use God's word while living with real life. But we still must possess the tools to anchor our faith to biblical truth no matter the conditions around us.

One of my ongoing interests is about helping the average churchgoer to be better aware of scripture. A minister carries a responsibility to teach how to understand the Bible beyond the usual sermon. My doctoral work began in this area of study. It is a project unfinished as far as academics go. Luckily I can continue the effort within my church walls. One of my core ideas is that what we do not know about the Bible can affect us as much as what we do know. The history of scripture is fascinating to me. I realize this makes me a bit odd but is still true. What you discover is how God's word stands all critical questions from the outside. Scripture may not always be simple to study but there is no doubt of its veracity.

We are going to use our Sunday night service as a vehicle to communicate guidelines for interpreting the Bible. My hope is to help anyone who wants to be more secure in reading scripture with a view to understand it better. Some of our discussion may seem more academic on occasion but it will be important. Some of it may seem technical but it will have a purpose. One ultimate goal is for us to move past the surface in our maturity. Jesus would run into trouble with religious people who could quote the scripture but did not know how to apply it. My usual statement is that the Bible could use a little less thumping and a lot more applying. This is true in my life for sure. Maybe it is true for yours.

Bro. Trey

Today was a long day. That is not a complaint by any means. It just serves as an explanation should this blog post be short. My brain doesn't always compute well when rested much less when weary. No doubt that there are some who may not think this noggin works much at all. Some days I may agree with them. This also does not mean that it was not a good day. Good but long days will always beat out even short but awful ones. Anyway, you probably are getting the point by now. So let us pick up with where we left off yesterday.

My sutures are kinda gone now. The nurse thinks they will dissolve on their own. Her thoughts are that the outside of the wound has a surgical glue along with internal stitches. Guess the point of all of that is to say life can take another step toward the new normal. I took some stuff by our local Goodwill place. One can hope that anything donated there will be put to good use. You can find some amazing stuff at Goodwill. There are other times when the stuff is far less than amazing. I did make it back to my home town for the memorial service mentioned in the last post. We will avoid the usual comments on how things change over time. One of the unique things about this visit was more on how time seems to go backward.

My high school teacher who died was given a deeply spiritual send off. His service took place in our home church where he attended for over thirty years. I took a seat towards the back of the auditorium by myself. This church is fortunate that the music minister is into his fourth decade of service there. I remember helping his family move there during my senior year in school. He and his family sang familiar songs of the faith. Then my pastor during my growing up years stood to deliver the main message. My comment to them afterward was that it felt like being back in time about thirty years. It was a good feeling for me to have at least one more time of listening to this team do ministry.

Perhaps there are better singers and preachers in our world but this was familiar even after all of these years. Just as we all have strengths and weaknesses it is also true we all have favorites. You have some bible verses that speak to you more than others. You have hymns that you gravitate to in different times. It's something that is common to us all. Nothing is wrong with familiarity as long as it doesn't stifle growth. We may write here often of being challenged to stretch our faith but this doesn't mean we lose sight of those things that comfort us. God is our present help in times of trouble. He may choose to begin guiding you with truth woven into your soul before starting to add more insight. Sometimes we need that reminder of the past so we move on into the future. Let's never turn loose of our past even when receiving new direction from God. You can do both.

Bro. Trey

This blog is what it is. You can read past posts where I mention how other blogs are better written or perhaps more insightful. My little contribution to online writing will always remain a collection of my thoughts or opinions. Odds are good that we will try to avoid being very deep in our approach. My one hope is for there to be insight worth noting from time to time. Much of what you find here will be an extension of real life stuff. You may be reading ideas that are drawn from my study or reflection. You may find times where the day to day traffic of life works its way here. There will be no attempt to reinvent the wheel with the blog. I might be happy in just keeping the wheel spinning.

Tonight is about real world events. My hope is to have my sutures removed tomorrow from my procedure last week. Maybe my wound will be healed up enough to have them taken out. I also have errands to run while in town. Gas prices are back up to the point where my trips will include multiple reasons for going. There will be very few times at the current cost of gas for me to just take off on a whim. Anyway, my journey tomorrow will take me back home for a funeral. I got word today that my high school algebra teacher passed away. He was a deacon in my church growing up along with my primary math teacher. I may not really need to go but one of my desires is to stay connected with my hometown.

Math is very far from my strong suit. I do ok with the basics but algebra 2 was not a fun experience at all. I even did fine in chemistry and geometry but that junior year of math almost was the end of me. My grades usually remained a far distance from my scores in English or history. Most of the time it just seemed like my mind was a total blank in that class. Sometimes I got it depending on what the current lesson was about. Those occasions were few and far between. I did receive a passing grade at the end of the year. My opinion is that this man helped me get out of there with at least a C. Seems to me there was an unspoken arrangement between the two of us. I would pass algebra 2 with the promise that there would be no more math classes during my high school years. This was a deal that I would most certainly make and keep.

Here is a very simple application. Not all of us are going to be talented at everything we try. You and I have strengths and weaknesses in every area of life. This is very normal. God knows who we are and what we can do. Yes, there are a few people who seem to be smart or gifted in more ways than we are. Our best approach is to avoid being envious of these people. You are created and wired by God for a specific purpose. Let me admit to some low grade jealousy of those who are mechanically inclined. I'm afraid my abilities do not lie in fixing things as much as they are in tearing things up. Aging allows you the freedom to be content with how God wires you. Few things feel better than knowing your gifts as you use them day to day. Maybe math is your thing. Use it with God's guidance in your life. Just be sure that you do possess talents that are unique to you. This is no accident. God's intent is for all of us to find our gifts then use them in His service. That is always the best equation for a passing grade no matter the subject.

Bro. Trey

Life returns to normal tomorrow. School resumes for the last few months of the year. Most of the weekend was devoted to taking down holiday decorations. This was after a major clean up of my son's room on Friday. It never ceases to amaze me how much stuff gets accumulated over time. His bedroom still needs more work but it will have to wait until he is at school. This does indeed mean that some of his stuff may vanish into the air. Christmas decorations are a different matter. I will confess to some sadness while taking it down and putting it into the boxes. Seems there is never enough time to just sit and enjoy the lights. Every year it's my intention to make time to do that. Now it will have to wait another eleven months or so.

My youngest really did not think that his room was in such bad shape. This is why my warnings of the coming purge began a day or two before. I also told him exactly what was so messy about his living conditions. He reluctantly agreed to join me in the process. We boxed up old movies that cluttered up his shelves. We found boxes for his video games. We organized all of his stuff to where he could more easily find it. I also swept what seems like a hill of trash from his floor. Can kids messes just multiply on its own? Even he agrees that the room is much better after our efforts than before. There were a few painful moments but it is more than worth it at the end.

It stands to reason that my efforts are somewhat similar to what God does in our life. He knows our messes but is willing to make things right again. We are usually the last ones to discover just how cluttered our world becomes. Current conditions just seem natural to us. Our eyes are blind to the damage happening due to our selfish tendency. In fact, we also tend to be not too excited when God tells us of His plans for us. Human nature seeks to avoid pain at all costs. We will even avoid it in our spiritual life. Spiritual cleansing can be a messy process. We don't see our needs as God does. Our first instinct is to deny to Him that we even need help in the journey. Perhaps we believe God is mistaken in His view of where we really are with spiritual growth. Maybe we just like our comfort zone so much that any hint of change leads us to put up our guard to protect our turf.

One of my recent discoveries resulted from reading from the Old Testament prophets. We usually see them as a doom and gloom lot. This may be how it seems since they did carry a heavy message. But you will discover that their belief in hope or restoration runs just as deep as any message of judgement. God longs to restore us far more than we think. Isaiah is one of those preachers who often spoke quite directly to his listeners. You cannot build a following when you say the things found in his messages. But you can offer hope that God will do more in restoring us than He may do in judging us. It's never easy or fun to launch a full scale cleaning but it is important. You may not enjoy all of the process of God ridding your life of the stuff or the clutter but it is worth it. Let your eyes be opened to God's viewpoint so you can be ready for His activity.

Bro. Trey