.....about being a "telescope" for Jesus!

I’ve always had a fascination with telescopes.  I remember when  I was a young kid--probably before my teens—my dad bought us an inexpensive telescope from Montgomery Wards (that’ll tell some of you how long ago that was!)

            I remember many nights sitting out in our yard searching for planets and stars.  But, because this “Monkey Wards” telescope wasn’t the most powerful scope on the block---I usually had to settle for a vague landscape of a bright white moon.

            Through the several telescopes I’ve owned in my life, I’ve seen the craters on the moon, the rings around Saturn and the vastness of Jupiter.

           

The primary purpose of a telescope is to make something that is far away…..look a lot closer…..to bring a distant object into closer view.

Celestial objects that are millions of miles away from the earth can be seen in sharp detail by the magnification of a telescope.

Telescopes are mounted on rifles so the hunter can get a closer look at an animal.

Bird-watchers use telescopes (or binoculars) to get a closer look, and see the details and activities of some bird in a distant tree.

In his letter to the Philippians (1:20) , Paul states that one of his desires was that….” Christ will be magnified in my body…”

I was just thinkin’………..that our job as believers is to “bring Christ into closer view” to the world.  We are to be a magnification of Christ!

In his commentary on the book of Philippians, Warren Wiersbe says, “the stars are much bigger than the telescope, yet the telescope magnifies them and brings them closer.  The believer is to be the telescope that brings Christ closer to the people.”

What “object” is your life “magnifying”?

.......about the Gospel in a fortune cookie!

          I like Chinese food okay, but don't eat it that often...(my brain and stomach cry, "Yes!", but my arteries yell, "NO!").
          The last time I ate oriental food, though, I ended the meal with a very unique fortune cookie.
          Most fortune cookies' words--in my opinion--are either trite, or don't make any sense.  
     
          But, the words on the little strip of paper inside this cookie read:  "The simplest answer is to act."

         I was just thinkin'.........that we as Christians usually talk a good talk.  And we usually listen good.  We can stay awake during a sermon, and maybe say "Amen" at least once during a sermon.  And we can put together a committee and beat to death some real need!
                   But,  how readily do we ACT?
     
          The majority of Jesus' brief three years of ministry....He was DOING!  And a good part of His words to His followers required ACTION!

          Several times---before Jesus met with the disciples in the Upper Room on that Passover night--the men got into several discussions concerning who was the "greatest".
         But, on that night, Jesus' "simple answer".....was to act!   And He acted.....by washing their feet!
          In Robert Foster's book, Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth, (*), one of the twelve Spiritual Disciplines he outlines is.....SERVICE.   Jesus acted out what He expected of His followers!
          Jesus demonstrated to His disciples what it meant to act and to serve others.
          
          Earlier in His ministry (Matt. 5:14-16), Jesus told the crowds on the mountain that their "lights" (their actions) were to:
                        1. shine before others;
                        2. show good works, in order to,
                        3. glorify God!

          In his letter to the "Jesus-Followers" in Colossae, Paul's prayer was that they "would bear fruit in every good work." (Col. 1:10 ESV)

          When we ever find ourselves facing a need, or a situation (in our life, or in someone else's).......the simplest answer is to act!

Tommy
(*) HarperOne, copyright 1978


     

.....about a "myopic" church!

          Only because my wife has been a visual specialist in the public schools, do I even know what "myopia" means!

          It's a surprisingly short medical word for nearsightedness.

          I was watching a segment of the "Today" Show recently and a man was having contact lenses surgically attached to his eyeballs to correct his myopia.
          I didn't watch too much of it, because I get the "willies" when I see someone messing with eyeballs!
          But, while I was listening to them talk about all the things concerned with the surgery....and all the technical things about myopia, I began to think about the church.

          I was just thinkin'........if there are any churches suffering from myopia!

          Are there some churches that are nearsighted?  I mean.....are there churches that can't see much beyond their own doors?
          In the days we are living, if the church is going to have any significant impact on the 
non-Christian world.....it's going to have to be "farsighted" (the medical word is: hyperopic).
          Our vision is going to have to look beyond the walls of our churches to have any effect on the people around us.  
          I know of a church that is sitting in the middle of a very rural area near a very small town with a population of less than 1000.   The church is ancient, and the pastor (at that time) was well into his retirement years.  The town--and surrounding area--is predominately German and Catholic.  
          Yet, the little church---which was hardly running 50 on a good Sunday morning---was running well over 70 adults and children for their Wednesday night activities!
          Obviously, this little church had 20/20 vision that extended way beyond its historical, antique doors.
          When I think of the word "vision" in context with the church, I think of that verse from Proverbs that says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish." (28:19)  In the original language, the word "vision" means: mental sight, dream, revelation, prophecy.
          If the church is going to reach people, it's going to have to have "mental sight" and a "dream" that goes beyond its walls!
          The church cannot be "myopic" about God's commission to reach people.

          Is your church nearsighted.......or farsighted?

Tommy
     

........about sidewalks!

     I was driving home from the office the other day on my usual path.  
     For some reason, I noticed that when I left the "older" residential area (nearer the center of town) and entered the "newer" neighborhood, something was missing!

     The sidewalks were gone!

     It made me start thinking about sidewalks!  (I guess that says something about how my brain can be easily distracted).  
     When I was growing up in Austin, there were sidewalks everywhere.  A person could walk.....or ride a bicycle....or push a baby stroller almost anywhere without having to get on a city street.
     I learned how to ride a bicycle.....on a sidewalk!
     I learned how to roller skate.....on a sidewalk!
     I learned how to skateboard.....on a sidewalk!
     I drew hopscotch squares with chalk....on a sidewalk! 
     I went trick-or-treating.....along a sidewalk!

     The sidewalks were what tied the neighborhoods together.  Neighbors visited neighbors...along the sidewalks.

     If you drive through any new housing development today, you won't see any sidewalks!  Most people don't even know their next-door neighbors' name.

     If Peter, Paul and Mary were still writing and singing folk songs today, I'm sure they would be inspired to write a song titled, "Where Have All the Sidewalks Gone?"
     We live in a new day....where the solid, foundational connections that held us together as a neighborhood, and a society...are no longer there!   The absence of sidewalks has disjointed us as neighbors.  It has disjointed us as a society!  There was a kind of  "connectivity" about concrete.  

     I was just thinkin'...........are we losing the sidewalks of our churches?   
     Is the connectivity among members slowly disintegrating?  Are we losing those solid, foundational, concrete paths of doctrine and belief?
     Maybe we ought to start repairing the "sidewalks"!  Maybe we ought to even build some new ones into our communities!

Tommy



     
     

....about "The Church of the 100th Sheep"!

     I have a friend who is a member of a church named, The Church of the Good Shepherd.  That is usually a common Lutheran church name.
    
      We Baptist use real creative names like: "First"!  We ought to use names that have to do with shepherding or other Biblical concepts.

    
 I was visiting a church a few months ago and the pastor briefly mentioned that famous "ninety-nine sheep" parable from Luke 15. 
     
     I was just thinkin'............do we get too satisfied sometimes with our "pretty good" attendance---and are just happy that most of the "sheep" are "safely in the fold"?
     I wondered.....how much time, energy, and money do we spend on that "100th Sheep"?  That one that's lost and NOT in the fold?
     How much of our church life and activity is concentrated on finding that "100th Sheep"?
     I've observed that most of the churches with which I'm familiar are doing a pretty good job of keeping their pews reasonably full.....and the offering plates full enough to take care of essential needs.

     But, if we take Jesus' parable literally, I think He's telling us that a pretty substantial amount of our......time.....money.....energy.....programs.....and activities, should involve "going after the one which is lost until we find it."  (Luke 15:4).

     If that's the case, maybe---to help us focus on our real purpose---all our churches ought to change their names!

                              Maybe at your next church business meeting.....

                                      you should suggest that your church change its name to:

             The (your town name) Church of the 100th Sheep!

Tommy

......about the bottom side of a duck

     I was flipping channels the other day and came across the Animal Planet network.  I don't know the name of the program, but found myself watching the bottom side of a duck swimming across a pond.

     The camera was under the water, aimed directly up--at the duck's underside.  All you could see was a pair of legs and webbed feet....churning through the water like a precision machine.
     The scene soon switched to the topside of the water and you saw the duck gliding across the water with, seemingly no effort at all!  It was beautiful and graceful---flowing so smoothly---the water was almost motionless.

     I was just thinkin'.........how the church is sometimes like the bottom side of a duck!

     A lot of the work goes on "underneath" that no one really sees.  There's a lot of "paddling" going on "underwater"....that makes the church function properly.
     Most people don't see what all the pastor does on the "underneath side"!  Most people don't know what the church secretary does on the "underneath side"!   Most people are not aware of what all their Sunday School teacher does...on the "underneath side"!
     
     I thought about a passage from 1 Corinthians 12:

     "Now God gives us many kinds of special abilities,

 but it is the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all......

There are many ways in which God works in our lives, but it is the same God

who does the work in and through all of us who are His.

The Holy Spirit displays God's power 

through each of us as a means of helping the entire church."

(1 Corinthians 12: 4-7 TLB)

      Each one of us in the church have gifts, or "special abilities" that are needed to 'navigate' the church through life's waters.  And a lot of those gifts function "underwater"!

     That may be what Jesus was talking about when He said:  "Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men to be seen by them.  Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven."  And He added, ".....do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing."  (Matt.6:1,3) 

     If the job is getting done right "underneath", then what the world sees of the church on the "topside" should be a smooth, graceful, beautiful flow of God!

     On the surface, when it looks like things are cruising along smoothly and effortlessly....it means that, underneath, there is always someone paddling like a duck!

Tommy    

......about a bridge to nowhere!

     A few years ago, the County was rebuilding a county road that zig-zagged through part of western Gonzales County.
     The road crossed the Guadalupe River a few miles west of Gonzales.  There happened to be an old historic iron truss bridge on that road (that's it in the picture), and the plans were to replace it with a simple modern concrete span.
     Some of the history buffs in the county decided to save the old bridge and bring it to town.  (seems some people in Gonzales---like other small towns---like to save old things!).  So, they got a grant, hired a crew, and spent months preparing a spot for the old bridge to stretch across a small drainage "creek" that meandered through town---and only had water in it when it rained!
     It was in a nice, visible location, along a well traveled artery through town, but it served no other useful purpose.  Our neighbor lady---at the time--immediately dubbed it:  "the bridge to nowhere".

     I was just thinkin'.......about bridges--and churches!

     Robert Lewis, recently wrote a book titled: The Church of Irresistible Influence, and suggests that the church is to be in the business of building bridges into its community.
     I thought about 1Peter 2:9, where we Christians are called to be "royal priests".  And I remembered from some seminary class that the word "priest" in the Latin is the word "Pontif", (and of course we think of the Pope when we hear that word).
     The Latin word pontif actually means "bridge builder", and, for some, the Pope is considered to be the "bridge" between man and God.
     But if we believe that Christ is the bridge between man and God, should we not be the"construction crew" out there spanning the chasm between sinful man and a redeeming God?
     Peter calls us "royal priests", or more exactly--"royal bridge builders"!  So, our churches should be like a construction company with teams of royal bridge builders!
     But, I wonder if some of us---and some of our churches--are just building bridges to nowhere!  We've got Christ in our churches.....we've got most of the "building materials" we need.....we spend a lot of time doing "stuff"----BUT, are we connecting to the lost world?
     Are we just building bridges to nowhere?  Or are we building bridges that are connecting a Lost People to a Living God?

Tommy

.....about a "Mediocris" Mountain Chalet.

     In the French Alps, along a mountain trail, there is a cabin that was built in the 19th century.
     The trail leads to the top of Mont Blanc, which gives hikers a breath-taking view of wildlife, flowers and the scenery below.
     To the top of the mountain it's a five mile hike.....making it difficult for some to make the entire trip.  The cabin was built half-way up the mountain as a high altitude "way station" for hikers to stop for rest and refreshment.
     A sign on the trail tells hikers that they have arrived at "Mediocris".  The Latin word medius means "middle"....and ocris means "a rough stony mountain".  In other words, travelers were in "the middle of a rugged mountain".
     At "Mediocris", food and drinks were made available to hikers as they prepared for the rest of the journey.  Many times though, the nourishment and beautiful views below would mesmerize hikers to the point that they would not finish their hike to the top.
     I was just thinkin'.......how many churches (and Christians)...have settled for "hanging out" at the "Mediocris Mountain Chalet"?
     The refreshments and views are great!  And the air hasn't gotten too thin, so it's still easy to breath.
     If you look up the definition of the English equivalent, mediocre, most dictionaries have one of the definitions that say:: "half way up a mountain".
     I wonder--how many of our churches (and members) are living....half way up the mountain?
     I think God kind of likes the mountains!  
          (1) in the Old Testament....He gave the Ten Commandments...on a mountain.
          (2) He spoke to His prophets.....on a mountain.
          (3) in the Gospels, Jesus went many times to pray....on a mountain.
          (4) He commissioned His apostles...on a mountain.
          (5) He appeared to 500 after the resurrection....on a mountain.
     The apostle Paul talks in Philippians about our "HIGH" calling....not our "half way up" calling!
     I can't help but think about Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount....about going the second mile.  He was saying: "don't just go half way....go all the way to the top!
     Let's not settle for the ease and comfort of the "Mediocris Chalet".  Let's go to the TOP!

Tommy
    

    

.......why the chicken crossed the road!

          An age-old riddle that every generation has pondered is:  "Why did the chicken cross the road?"
          There are probably as many speculative and catchy answers to that riddle as there are years that it's been around.
          The riddle's first known appearance in print, was in 1847 in The Knickerbocker, a monthly literary magazine published in New York.
          The riddle's original (and logical) answer is:  "To get to the other side!"

          I was just thinkin'.....................doesn't the church also need to get to the other side of the road??
          Don't we need to be doing more---or at least as much---"across the road" as we are  inside the walls of our buildings?
          The "Great Commission" says that we are to "GO" and teach and preach the gospel.
St. Francis of Assisi is credited with saying, "Preach the Gospel everywhere you go....and if necessary, use words!"
          I know of a number of churches who are involved in their community.  They are ministering outside their walls in very unique ways.  Several years ago, one church I know of  distributed cookbooks to every home in their town.   The cookbooks were more than just delicious recipes by their church members.......within the pages were testimonies of the recipe contributors---sharing what Christ meant in their life.
          On that particular Saturday, a large number of folks from that church..."crossed to the other side of the road."
          Somehow...we as God's people need to find ways to "get to the other side!"   And, when we get there, whether we use words or not, we should be compelled to share the Gospel of Christ.
          *Jesus told us about the Samaritan who "crossed the road".
          * Jesus Himself "crossed the road" and ate supper with Zacchaeus.
          * Paul "crossed the road" and ministered to a young lady with an evil spirit.

          The real question should be:  "Why does the church need to cross the road"
          The answer is:  "to REACH the other side!"


Tommy (Proverbs 16:3)

.....about playing volleyball at church!

          Our granddaughter played volleyball when she was in junior high.  We went to several of her games during those couple of years.
          As I was watching one of the action-charged games (I didn't know eighth grade girls were so aggressive) I observed a few things:
                    1. The team had to work together to get the ball over the net.
                    2. Certain players had certain positions where they excelled.  (There is a "setter" near the front row and one near the back.  Their job, primarily, is to make the second hit and put the ball in position for the "final blow").
                    3. If any one player is not where she needs to be to make a shot, (for whatever reason) someone else jumps in and tries to save the play.
                    4. Since no one is really for sure what a volleyball is going to do when it's hit, everyone must be ready and prepared to jump-in wherever they can--to make a play.

          I was just thinkin'..........that the church is a lot like a game of volleyball!

          I thought about Philippians 2:2 where Paul tells us to be....."like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind."  
          I also thought about 1 Corinthians 12:4:  "There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit."
          As God's church, to have a successful "team", we must work together to "get the win".  When someone is unable to do their specific joy, someone else must be ready to "jump into the play" and make a point! 
         

Tommy  (Proverbs 16:3)

         
             

.......about lotza oil!

          Black Gold!     Texas Tea!
          Right now I'm sitting above a pocket of oil that they say will be producing for the next twenty years.  Gonzales county, and counties south are busting with people, trucks and all kinds of machinery----trying to "suck out" all the oil they can find.
          But, this frenzy for oil has caused me to think about another kind of oil.  I thought about a little chorus that some of us used to sing in Sunday School and summer church camps:  "Give me oil in my lamp, keep me burning.
                 Give me oil in my lamp I pray.
                 Give me oil in my lamp keep me burning.
                 Keep me burning til the break of day."
          I was reading in a commentary the other day about the parable of the 10 wise and foolish virgins (Matt. 25:1-13).   If you know the story, you'll remember that oil (and the lack of it) played a major part in the story that Jesus told.
          Warren Wiersbe, in his commentary on the gospel of Matthew (1) , made this comment on that passage:
          "Oil is usually a symbol of the Spirit of God, but I wonder if this particular oil is not also a symbol of the Word of God.  The church should be 'holding forth the Word of life' in this dark and wicked world."
          Referring to the foolish virgins, who failed to "be prepared", Wiersbe said this:
          "The church has known for two thousand years that Jesus is coming again, and yet, most believers have become lethargic and drowsy.  They are no longer excited about the soon-coming of the Lord."   He concludes: "As a result, there is little effective witness given that the Lord is returning."

          I was just thinkin'.......................are we prepared with the Word of God in our "lamps"....to the point that we are an effective witness in the world?   (and I'm not talking about THE world--as in the planet that orbits the Sun).  I'm talking about OUR world---the place where we live--where we "orbit around" friends, family and acquaintances everyday!
          Obviously, all ten virgins were invited to the wedding.  But, because the "Foolish Five" were ill-equipped....and ill-prepared, they were denied entrance into the wedding reception.
          Are you keeping your lamp full of oil??  (empty lamps don't give out much light!)
          I think God's people need to become as busy as these oil field workers that have recently invaded South Central Texas......and start drilling for OIL!!!

Tommy (Proverbs 16:3)

 (1) BE Loyal: Following the King of Kings, David C. Cook Publishers, Colorado Springs, CO, 1980.
         

......about a camel and her baby!

          I was listening to Chuck Swindoll on his "Insight for Living" radio program the other day, and he told this little story:
          "A baby camel said to its mother and said, "Why do we have such big, thick feet, Momma?"  The mother replied, "So we can walk over the hot desert sand." 
          The young camel then asked, "But, why do we have such big eyelashes?"  She said, "because we have to be able to see our way through blowing sand storms."
         The baby's third question was: "Well, then why do we have such big humps on our backs?"  To which the mother responded, "So we can walk for days over vast deserts and not need water."
          Then the young camel said, "Since that's true.......why are we in a zoo!"

          Swindoll's central theme through that message was---that the church....like the camel---was not created to live an isolated life.  By being restricted to the confines of a zoo, a camel cannot fulfill the purpose for which it was created.  Everything about the camel's makeup is designed for it to live in the desert---not a zoo!

          You've probably heard of healthy animals from the wild that have died in captivity, or who live very lethargic lives.....because they are not in the place they were designed to be.

          I was just thinkin'..........how the church was NOT designed to be isolated in the confines of a sanctuary, a fellowship hall, or a Bible study classroom.  It was designed and created to be in the world....imitating Christ.  Some of the most successful ministries happening today, are taking place outside the confines of a church building.
          In Romans 12:9-21, Paul lays down a list of characteristics of a Christian.  In verse 13---right after stating the need to take care of the saints, he says that we are to be  "given to be hospitality".  In the Greek, the word "hospitality" carries the idea of "strangers".
          Swindoll said that the church (Christians) are to "be engaged with those who don't know Christ".   That would most likely take place outside the church............where we were created to function.
          I wonder......because we isolate ourselves in our buildings, and most everything we do takes place inside the church.....have we lost our purpose...have we become irrelavant??
          Let's escape from the "zoo", and get our there in the "desert" where we belong......given to hospitality....and be the presence of Christ!

Tommy (Proverbs 16:3)

  
         

.....about motorboats, rafts, and sailboats!

           A number of years ago, when we lived near a lake, we decided to take up sailing as a "hobby".  We saved some money and bought a small used sailboat ( like the one in the photo).  We took a few lessons from the boat shop owner.....then took off on the "winds and the waves"!
          I recently read a book titled, Leaders Who Last (1) by Dave Kraft, where he quotes John Ortberg (2) concerning "spiritual disciplines" and the difference between motorboats, rafts, and sailboats.
          Ortberg says, "In a motorboat, 'I'm in charge.  I determine how fast I go, and in what direction.  Some people approach spiritual disciplines that way.  If I'm aggressive enough...if I have enough quiet times, I can make transformation happen on  my own."
          He adds, "Some people have been burned by that approach...and go in the opposite extreme and will say, 'I'm into grace'.  It's like they're floating on a raft.  If you ask them to do anything to further their growth, they'll say, 'I'm not into works, I'm into grace.  Your getting legalistic with me.'  So, they drift."
          He concludes, "On a sailboat however, I don't move if it's not for the wind.  I can't control the wind.  I don't manufacture the wind.  Jesus talks about the Spirit blowing like a wind.  A good sailor will discern, 'Where's the wind at work?  How should I set my sails?'  Practicing spiritual disciplines is like sailing."

         As I read that, I immediately thought of the words of my favorite Clifton Jansky song, "Wind of God".  The chorus says:  
                "Wind of God.....blow through me.
                  Wind of God.....set my spirit free.
                  I set my sail.....and I won't move until....
                  The wind of God......blows through me."

          In Henry Blackaby's Experiencing God materials, he says that we are to look for where God is moving.....and then join HIM in what He's doing.!
          In my very limited experiences (and even more limited expertise) in sailing, I know that if the wind isn't blowing.....you don't go anywhere!
          If the wind is blowing...you have to maneuver your sails into a position so that the wind moves you along it its power and direction.
          Reaching your destination is not totally dependent on you.  But, it's as you work in harmony with the wind (the power source)  that you accomplish something on your journey.
          Spiritual disciplines and leadership qualities in our lives work the same way.
         
          I was just thinkin'........are you a "motorboat" Christian/leader?  Are you a "raft" person?   Or, are you a "sailboat saint"? 
          Let's get out there and "set our sails"......and wait for the "wind" of God's Spirit to move us in the direction He wants us to go.!

Tommy  (Prov. 16:3) 

(1) Leaders Who Last, Dave Kraft, Crossway, Wheaton, Ill, 2010.
(2) John Ortberg interview in Leadership Journal, Winter 2004
    

.....about punching holes in the clouds!

          The first week in September (2012) , a number of folks from our Area were involved in Disaster Relief work in the New Orleans area, following the devastation from Hurricane Issac.
          Blenda had the opportunity to join a wonderful group of volunteers from Alice, Deer Park, and Kenedy, who were deployed on September 2nd to set up the Gambrell Association's temporary child care ministry in a building occupied by FEMA representatives---who were helping people get assistance for storm related needs.
          Because of a committment Blenda had, she needed to return earlier than the rest of the group....so I made a quick trip to the New Orleans-----to be a "D.R. Volunteer" for a day, and to bring her back home for her appointment.
          My first night there was spent going off to sleep on a cot in the middle of a church sanctuary----listening to 30 men snore "in harmony"!
          After breakfast the next morning---and before heading off to serve, one of the Disaster Relief chaplains brought the devotional before dismissing us to our responsibilities.
          In his prayer at the end of his devotional thought, he said something like:  "....and help us as we punch holes in the clouds of those we meet today."
          I'd never heard that expression before, but it caught my attention.

         I was just thinkin'.........isn't that part of our "job description" as Christians?? 

         Most of the people around us.....even some of our church friends...are living with some type of "dark cloud" around them.
          As God's people, we have the light of God's love in us. (Matt.5:14).  But, sometimes, they have such a "cloud" around them (for whatever reason) they can't see that Light.

          So..........it's our job to "punch holes" in those clouds so they can see the True Light.  And we "punch holes' by setting up child care trailers.....by doing disaster relief clean-out......by going to nursing homes..... by helping a needy person.....or by just saying an encouraging word!
          When was the last time you punched some holes in the clouds??

Tommy  (Prov.16:3)
         
    

...........about a 4th Quarter comeback

          My wife is a "Kindle Fanatic".  For three reasons:  1) she's an avid reader, 2) she can get tons of free books, and 3) she can change the font size to accomodate her failing eyesight!
          She recently downloaded a free book titled:  "Encourage-Mints", by Carol Freed.
          Obviously, it's about being an encourager.....as she relates experiences in her life where she was able to encourage others---or was, herself, encouraged by someone.
          The sub-title is:  "Give a mint--Refresh a life".  She says......."just like the mints you swallow, encourage-mints come in endless forms and provide a mixture of effects and influence on those who receive them.  Through these mints, you become a touch from God that He uses to show His love to people......".
          The last chapter is titled:  "Enjoying 4th Quarter Living"....and it relates our lives to a football game.   With football season coming to a close, I thought it appropriate to relate some of her thoughts.
          The chapter begins with a quote from C.S. Lewis that expresses the chapter's theme: "You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream."
          The author divides our lives into four "quarters":
          Ages 1-20..........1st Quarter
          21 -40................2nd Quarter
          41-60.................3rd Quarter
          61-80.................4th Quarter
          80 +....................Overtime!

          That life-breakdown "hit home" for me, since I'm about "3 minutes" into my "fourth quarter"!
          But, the chapter talks about a "fourth quarter comeback".  Some who have reached the 4th quarter may have regrets about how they've "played the game"......some may feel they haven't "scored enough points".....others may feel that there's not much hope in being a winner!
          But, it's never too late to be an "encourage-mint" to someone else!

          I thought of some admonitions in the scriptures:  .....like Hebrews 10:24-25: "and let us consider one another in order to stir up (encourage) love and good works...exhorting one another" (NKJV).
          And Ephesians 4:29: "Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them." (NLT)
          Freed says, "The more you encourage, the more it will become a natural part of who you are and how you live..."
          A quote from Mother Teresa puts the "flavoring in the mint":  "Let no one come to you without leaving happier and better."
          I was just thinkin'.........regardless of what "quarter" you're playing.....you can alway pass out "mints" along the way!

Serving with you in HIS name,
Tommy
    
    

.....about "peace in the storm"

     I was in and around the Bastrop and Smithville areas during the week after the fires broke out there on Labor Day weekend.
     Though I never saw any billows of smoke or fire...or any signs of burnt grass, I did see many folks that had suffered from the fire's devastation.
     I need to say right up front!  I have not gone through the trauma of losing any of my possessions to any natural disaster.  So, I can only empathize with those who have been effected by the fires.
     One of the shelters (a church) in Bastrop had asked for the two shower trailers which our two associations operate.  So, I went there one day to check things out.
     First Baptist Smithville (in the Gonzales Association) was serving as a shelter and feeding point for folks in the eastern part of the fire's path.  I went there to see if they needed anything.
     In my limited time at both places, I observed a sharp contrast in two responses to what was happening:

     At the shelter in Bastrop, I overheard a fire victim sharing with one of the shelter volunteers about her sad plight.  She was weeping over all she had lost.  The church volunteer was trying--compassionately--to console her.
     Later, at First, Smithville, I ran into a lady in their fellowship hall -where they were operating their shelter and feeding ministry.  I had known her as a member of one of our association churches several years ago, but she had moved, and I had lost track of her.
     She was busy sorting and bagging up items to be given out to victims.  Assuming she was just volunteering her time, I asked her where she was living now.  She informed me---as she continued sorting and bagging---that they lived near Bastrop, and had lost their home in the fires.
     I was just thinkin'.......about how different those two responses were!
     I'm guessing the lady in Bastrop had no insurance.  And, the lady in Smithville probably did.    But, they both lost everything!
     I thought of the words of Jesus in John 16:33: "These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace.  In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer.  I have overcome the world."

     May we not forget that there are people all around us---whether they've suffered physical losses or not---that need the PEACE that only Christ can give.

Proverbs 16:3 (KJV)