My Ongoing Thoughts

BIRD OF PASSAGE

3/24/2020

It has been a full week since my last blog post. Admittedly, I rarely go this long without sharing a thought or two; but to be honest, my wife and I have just been extremely busy.

I used to hear retirees say that they quickly discovered that they were much busier after they retired than they had ever been before. My own father-in-law once told me that he found that he could never seem to get everything done once he retired; and that he often wondered how he had ever gotten anything done back when he was working.

Let me simply state that I am beginning to appreciate these sentiments. When people ask me how I am enjoying retirement, I tell them that I do not yet know. This is because I seem to be working harder now than I did before I officially retired. My wife and I spent the first week of my so-called retirement packing up and moving my books and other possessions out of the church office.

I spent the second week running a million errands, making changes in accounts, swapping phone and internet service, etc, etc…

And now, in this third week, my wife and I have finally turned our attention to our home as we prepare to sell it in order to transition to our new place of residence. As any of you who have ever sold a home, moved to a new community, and gotten established there well know, this process can be daunting.

Unfortunately, all of these things have unfolded in the midst of the worst pandemic of the modern era, as the impact of the coronavirus has now begun making itself known in unprecedented ways in all of our lives.

I will admit that those folks who told me that there would be a certain amount of insecurity brought on by normal life changes associated with retirement were correct. My wife and I have experienced each of these things in turn. But in many ways, these uncertainties in our life have only been intensified and exacerbated by the societal impact of the Covid-19 virus.

Like many of you with aging parents and/or small grandchildren, my wife and I cannot help but be concerned about what is happening in the world around us. For this reason, we have tried to hunker down and wait things out, dutifully practicing social distancing in the process.

All of this is certainly bad enough; but when being cooped up indoors is compounded by the excessive amount of rain we have been experiencing here in east Tennessee, one can quickly grow weary of the whole ordeal. And this leads me to my point. It seems the Lord knew this servant of His needed some encouragement in light of all these past few weeks have had to offer.

As I was communing with Him in my heart over these very things early this morning, I happened to look out the window and see a most beautiful sight. There, in the midst of the early morning mist, after yet another night of terrible storms, sat perched on a branch just outside my window a single bright red cardinal.

This may not seem like much to you; but to me, in that moment, it was a powerful statement about the presence, the power, and the plan of Almighty God. In a world seemingly full of repetitive dreariness and uncertainty, there shown forth a profound testament to God’s creative ability! The stark contrast between the glorious red of that bird and its colorless surroundings spoke volumes about the power of Almighty God to provide hope in the midst of uncertain times!

In that one moment, as a simple cardinal sat singing away outside my window, a dark stormy night was giving way to a bright shining day! A season of dreary winter was giving way to a season of dynamic spring! In short, a season of death was giving way to season of life!

I, for one, needed that reassurance. Like Noah of old, the world I had known was no more. The 40 plus years spent as a Pastor seemed to have disappeared all too quickly; only to be replaced by a time of uncertainty cooped up in a dreary ark with little more than the list of tomorrow’s chores awaiting me for distraction. Such circumstances can try one’s soul.

I was reminded of the Biblical story of Noah and his family as they found themselves cooped up on the ark. After 150 straight days of rain, the Biblical Book of Genesis (in chapter 8, verses 8-11) tells us that the following took place…

8Then Noah sent out a dove to see if the waters had receded from the surface of the ground. 9But the dove found no place to rest her foot, and she returned to him in the ark, because water still covered the surface of all the earth. So he reached out his hand and brought her back inside the ark.

10Noah waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. 11And behold, the dove returned to him in the evening with a freshly plucked olive leaf in her beak. So Noah knew that the waters had receded from the earth.

I trust you see my point. Right then and there, in a single instant, just as He had done for Noah of old, God sent me a simple little bird. And the bird He sent aptly testified to His plans for the future, in order to remind me that He still had plans for this world, and for my me and my place in it!

You see, like Noah of old, I too saw a “bird of passage”, reminding me that the old was passing away and the new was coming to be. Clearly, God is even now in the process of making all things new, both in this world and in my life.

I presume that Noah never forgot that single dove and the leaf representing newness of life in its mouth. In like manner, I too will always cherish the memory of that single cardinal and the message it had about the future!

What about you? Are you weary of what life has served up? Do you find yourself tempted to give way to fear and doubt as a result? Then take heart, my friend; for you are not alone! And take it from this servant of the one true God – He is not done with either this world or with you and your place in it! If you want proof of this, then simply ask Him for it. I assure you, my friend - He will certainly deliver it!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/bsb/genesis/8.htm.

CLEANING HOUSE!

3/17/2020

In previous blog posts, I have alluded to the fact that I grew up on a farm with regular chores that had to be done daily. These included gathering eggs, feeding and watering the animals (chickens, hogs, cows, horses, etc…), and numerous other such tasks.

To these daily chores were added seasonal and annual chores, such as fertilizing and bush-hogging pastures, cutting and bailing hay, cleaning out stables, burning off fence rows, and repairing and painting barns and fences.

While the seasonal and annual tasks were important, it was really the system of daily chores that instilled in me whatever discipline I now possess and display.

This may very well also account for the fact that I am really more of a “straightener” than “cleaner”. As a general rule, I tend to do my “straightening up” first thing in the morning. Thus, when I get up, I normally make the bed, have my breakfast (graciously prepared earlier for me by my wife), and then immediately put the dirty dishes away and the kitchen back in order. Thereafter, I give the house what might best be described as a “onceover”.

(Let me hasten to add here that thirty-seven years of marriage have also had an impact. Needless to say, my wife has trained me well.) I also straighten up at other times in the day, depending upon my schedule and/or what I have going on that day. I especially do this on my day off.

But there is a big difference between merely straightening up around the house and undertaking a thorough cleaning of one’s home. And as I have also alluded to in earlier blog posts, that difference can best be seen in the difference between mine and my wife’s approach to a dirty house. Quite simply, while I straighten, she cleans! And when I say she cleans, I mean just that - she cleans!

I make the bed; but she removes the sheets and pillow cases and washes and dries them. I put the dishes away; but she runs the dishwasher and scalds the kitchen. I pick up; but she vacuums and mops and dusts. I could go on; but you get the point! I straighten and she cleans!

In other words, I do surface stuff; but she goes much deeper. I address the outside; but she addresses the inside. I give attention to what shows; but she gives attention to what matters!

In all of this, I am reminded of what Jesus had to say as He excoriated the religious leaders of His day. In the New Testament Gospel of Matthew (chapter 23, verses 25 through 28), He states:

25Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, so that the outside may become clean as well.

27Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside, but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of impurity. 28In the same way, on the outside you appear to be righteous, but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

I trust you see the point. The religious leaders of Jesus’ day were good at straightening, but not at cleaning! They focused on the outside, on what showed. Jesus challenged them to focus on the inside, on what really mattered. Had they done so, they would have been better off. And so would the world in which they lived.

In case you are wondering, even as I write this blog post, my wife is busy scouring our house. Before she began, it had the appearance of being clean; but it really wasn’t. It only looked presentable because it had been straightened up by me. When she is done, it will be genuinely clean. It will not only look clean; it will actually be clean – both inside and out!

And while I like living in a house that appears to have been straightened up, I much prefer to live in a home that has been thoroughly cleaned! I know the difference; and so does she.

Likewise, I know the difference between a life that has merely been straightened up on the outside and one that has been thoroughly cleansed by Jesus Christ both inside and out. Having experienced both, I much prefer the latter! Trust me, you will too!

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/bsb/matthew/23.htm.

SEE ALSO: https://www.cleoejacksoniii.com/my-ongoing-thoughts/real-clean.

KEY DATE

3/14/2020

Yesterday was a key date on the calendar. For most of us, Friday the 13th has always had somewhat of an ominous ring to it. Even those of us who are neither afraid to walk under ladders nor prone to get unnerved simply because a black cat crosses our path may still pause to reflect ever so briefly when this calendar date periodically rolls around.

Of course, the origins of Friday the 13th truly are menacing. It was on this date back in 1307 AD that, without warning, King Philip IV of France, fearing their power and wealth, had over 600 Knights Templars arrested and imprisoned. Over the days and weeks to come, in addition to having their property confiscated, most were tortured, and many even beheaded. Little wonder this day in so infamous.

For me, however, I will now always remember Friday the 13th for another reason. As many of you who read my blog regularly will know, for the past 19 years, I have been privileged to serve as the Senior Pastor of the First Baptist Church in Lenoir City, Tennessee. This past Sunday, however, after 41 years in the ministry, I retired from the Pastorate.

I had been preparing for this step for quite some time because I have felt led to transition from a preaching and pastoral ministry to a writing ministry. I already have several books in the works; and in the coming weeks and months, I will be saying more about each of these. (One can expect to see other changes on my website as well.) In the meantime, however, my wife and I are taking a few days off to rest and recuperate before plunging wholeheartedly into the next chapter of our lives together.

All of this brings me to my point… I have been asked many times this week how I am enjoying retirement. In each case, my response has been that I do not know yet, because I seemed to have been in my office at the church more since I retired than I had been before. You see, I literally spent Monday through Friday packing up and cleaning out my office. That involved packing hundreds of boxes, as well as moving them to storage.

My wife and I finished this wearisome process very late Thursday night. Having been taught by our parents always to leave something better than you found it, we spent Friday morning cleaning and putting the office back in order as best we could. I am sure the church will do a much better job than we did, as they prepare it for their next Pastor; but we at least wanted to make an effort.

After we finished this process, I then spent around two hours just walking the church facilities. I roamed through the Family Life Center, where we worshipped when I first came. (We once lovingly referred to it as the “Sanctinasium” or the “Gymnatorium”!) From there, I meandered through the Student Worship Area and the KidStuf Theatre, as well as the hallways of the Christian Academy and the Fellowship Hall and Kitchen. All of these were we had constructed together.

My path then took me all throughout the Worship Center which we constructed for God’s glory in 2007. The Choir Suite, Baptistery, Sound and Tech Booths, Green Room, Guest Reception Area... All these places and many more had and will continue to have very special memories for me as long as I live. But none of them were as special as the Pulpit itself. As I stood in this spot for some time reflecting on the hundreds of hours I had spent there, many a memory came to my mind. Needless, to say, I shed quite a few tears.

More to the point, the Lord and I talked there. I prayed that I had been faithful to do what I had been called there to do. Like each of the 24 pastors who preceded me in the 125 year history of this great church, I was here for a season. And like each of them, I had a job to do. Each in turn faithfully did their job in their time. I pray that I devotedly did mine as well; and also that all who one day come behind me will find me to have been faithful in my time.
From the Pulpit, I made my way back to my office and took one last look around.

This was, of course, the only place I had spent more time than I did in the pulpit. Here, I had pretty much the same thoughts; and prayed pretty much the same prayer. Finally, I took the inevitable last step. I removed my Church keys from my key ring and surrendered them to the Church’s Office Manager. At that point, all I could do was make my way out to the parking lot and drive away from 19 years of my life. As I did, like so many times before, I took one last glance in my rear view mirror at the Church’s facilities.

This was a particularly poignant moment for me because very few things are as symbolic and as powerful as surrendering one’s keys! With keys comes a certain amount of perceived authority, security, and trust. But whenever one surrenders his or her keys, in so many respects, he or she gives these things up. He or she is now without rather than within. He or she is now at the mercy of others to come or to go. In short, he or she is now no longer in control. Needless to say, letting go of my keys was a very powerful moment.

But I am okay with that. Because it was never really my office, my pulpit, or my facility anyway. These things are now what they always were and what they always will be: the property of Almighty God! I was simply a steward of them for a short period of time. Accordingly, I pray I will one day be found faithful by their Rightful Owner even more than by those who follow after me.

Oh, and by the way, what applies to Pastors and Church facilities also applies to lay people and to every other place, possession, and/or opportunity in this world. We will all one day turn in our keys! Just like me, you too will one day come to the end of life and have to give up control. After this, as the New Testament Book of Hebrews (chapter 9, verse 27) affirms, all that remains is the judgement of God.

Given this, I urge you to join with me in trying to make the most of your God-given opportunities as you seek to carry out your God-given responsibilities, and thereby fulfill your God-given calling. For me, for the past 19 years, that calling has been to be the Pastor of a wonderful Church family. Prior to that, for 22 years, it was to serve other, similar Church families in much the same capacity.

Hereafter, that calling will hopefully involve serving this same God by developing and employing my skills as a writer. As I undertake this new venture, as I turn the page and begin this brand new chapter, I appreciate your prayers. In exchange, I will pray for each of you and your respective ministry endeavors as well. May the God Who gifted us and then called us to honor Him with those gifts be glorified in our respective service!

SOURCES:

FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH: According to one article, this date “pops up just frequently enough to be a pop culture phenomenon, but not so often that its weirdness wears off thanks to over-familiarity. When this date shows up on the calendar, we notice. Even if you don't consider yourself to be an overly superstitious person, you still likely feel the effects of Friday the 13th — reports show that almost 21 million people admit to feeling at least mild anxiety during this unlucky holiday.”

Cf.: https://www.bustle.com/articles/160480-how-often-does-friday-the-13th-happen-this-creepy-day-only-comes-once-this-year.

SEE ALSO: https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/weekday-friday-13;

AS WELL AS: https://www.history.com/topics/folklore/friday-the-13th; and
https://www.history.com/news/why-friday-the-13th-spelled-doom-for-the-knights-templar.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/hebrews/9-27.htm.

SUPER TUESDAY!

3/10/2020

Today is once again a “Super Tuesday”. Actually, it is the second one this month, as yet another election year unfolds and more primaries are being conducted. Indeed, as I was driving along the road today, I saw an electronic sign that said “Have a Super Tuesday!” I have pretty much done just that.

Actually, today is a super day for me because, had he lived, today would have been my father’s 82nd birthday. He was born back on March 10, 1938, and lived until January 23, 2000. But I still mark this day on my calendar and honor my father’s memory for the special man he was.

When he was born, the great depression was slowly concluding. But the effects of its coming to an end would take much longer to be felt in rural Georgia than they were in urban America. He grew up with very little luxuries. In truth, most all he knew was work, work, and more work.

When he turned ten, it was 1948; and America was shifting to a post-war economy. That was the year his own father finally stopped sharecropping and bought his own farm. My father was in the 4th grade that year, and missed much school to help out on the family farm. He would go to quit school outright in the 10th grade because he was to be told that he would have to repeat it since he had missed so many days while out working on that same farm.

Thus, by 1958, my father had been out of school for four years. He was gainfully employed as a truck driver, and had been married to my mother for one year. She had insisted they wait until she did graduate High School in 1957.

When 1968 rolled around, my father (and mother) had two children (my older sister and me). He was employed at a lumber yard and heavily involved in our local Southern Baptist church, where he served as both a Deacon and as Superintendent of the Sunday School.

Ten years later, in 1978, his older two children (my sister and me) were in high school; and he and my mother now had a third child (my younger sister). He had also gone into business for himself, hauling dirt and gravel for construction projects.

By 1988, all three of his children were married; and he had four grandchildren. He had also gone to work in the funeral business, where he would remain employed all of his life. Although he did not know it at the time, he was two years away from a heart attack, resulting in heart surgery with seven by-passes!

When another ten years had passed, and 1998 arrived, my father had eight grandchildren, and was planning for his own retirement in two short years. He put his farm up for sale, and planned his move to Alabama to retire on the lake. Sadly, a month and a half before his 62nd birthday in the year 2000, he died suddenly of a second, massive heart attack.

His life of 61 years was not necessarily a long one by today’s standards. But he still managed to live a full life. He worked hard and raised a family. And he glorified God by the life he lived and the service he gave to the church.

I myself am thankful that he was my father. In many respects, so much of what I am today is due to him and the impact he had on me. As I approach my own retirement years, I reflect more and more on these very things.

I do not know how aware my father is of my present circumstances. I do not how much anyone in Heaven is aware of what all we face here on earth. (I suppose I will find out when I myself get there.) However, if my earthly father is looking down on me from above, I can only hope that he is pleased with what all I have accomplished in life. More importantly, I hope he is pleased with who I have become.

If he were still alive, this would be a super day as he would be celebrating his 82nd birthday. As it is, he is now celebrating life in another place in another world, where every day is a super day. And my strong suspicion is that he would not come back to this world even if he could.

Of course, whether my earthly father sees me or not, I know my Heavenly Father does! I know He watches over me today just as he has done every day of my life. And I hope He too is pleased with both who and what I am. That assurance alone makes this a super day, just as it does each and every day we live in His abundant care.

And for this reason, I join with the Psalmist (chapter 118, verse 24) and say: “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!”

SCRIPTURE SOURCE: https://biblehub.com/psalms/118-24.htm.

LOOKING BACK…

3/6/2020

Famed Baptist Pastor Paul W. Powell once told the following story about a cleric who was retiring. It seems that…

A priest was being honored at his retirement dinner after 25 years serving the parish. A leading local politician and member of the congregation was chosen to make the presentation and give a little speech at the dinner. He was late getting there, so the priest decided to say his own few words while they waited.

“I got my first impression of the parish from the very first confession I heard here. I thought I had been assigned to a terrible place. The very first person that entered my confessional told me that he had stolen a television set and, when questioned by the police, was able to lie his way out of it. He had stolen money from his parents, embezzled from his employer, had an affair with his boss’ wife, and took illegal drugs. I was appalled. But as the days went on I knew that my people were not all like that and I had, indeed, come to a fine parish full of good and loving people.”

Just as the priest finished his talk, the politician arrived full of apologies at being late. He immediately began to make the presentation and gave his talk. “I’ll never forget the first day our parish priest arrived,” said the politician. “In fact, I had the honor of being the very first person to go to him for confession.”

Now, being a Protestant Pastor, I do not believe that Christians need any human intermediary between themselves and Almighty God. The Holy Bible tells us in the New Testament Book of Hebrews (chapter 4, verses 15-17):

14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who was tempted in every way that we are, yet was without sin. 16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

That being said, my purpose here is not to cast aspersions at either Roman Catholicism or those who adhere to its tenets. Rather, it is to point out that any clergyman who comes to that inevitable time of retirement can testify to similar experiences.

Needless to say, given that this coming Sunday will be my last Sunday in the pulpit before I officially retire from the pastoral ministry and transition to a writing ministry, I have been doing a lot of reflecting back on the 40 plus years I have spent in Pastoral ministry.

In that time, to be sure, there have been some difficult stretches. But praise the Lord, I am happy to report that there have been far, far more positive experiences than negative ones. What is more, for the most part at least, I like to think that I was able to help those who came to me in their time of need; just as my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, did for me.

Accordingly, I pray that all of those whose paths I have crossed have in some way been uplifted as a result.

Perhaps the biggest blessing one can take away from his or her interaction with others is the testimony of the Apostle Paul in when he said to the Christians at Philippi (chapter 1, verse 3): “I give thanks to my God for every remembrance of you…”

I am thankful of reach and every fellow believer I have had the privilege to minister with and to. And I trust they can say the same of me. If so, that is reward enough for the ministry God gave me!

JOKE SOURCE:

https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/66830.pdf.

SCRIPTURE SOURCE:

https://biblehub.com/bsb/hebrews/4.htm; and

https://biblehub.com/philippians/1-3.htm.

KIND AFTER KIND

3/3/2020

No doubt, you, like me, have seen the signs here and there that read “JUST BE KIND”. After encountering my third or fourth one, I decided to investigate the origins of this growing phenomenon. I seem to have discovered those origins at the web page titled “JUST BE KID; IT’S EASY”. According to this site:

A group of kids wanted to raise some money to do “stuff” over the summer of 2015. We felt that making and selling t-shirts would be a good way to earn money and push the very basic, but important message – Just Be Kind! Thus, the Just Be Kind Club was born.

Our motivation has now turned to spreading the kindness message everywhere. We have also recognized the importance of giving back to the community, so we give donations to other organizations that need assistance. Our goal is plain and simple, remind people to be kind. Our belief is that there is more goodness than not.

One thing is certain: this movement is catching on, and doing so quickly! As a Fox59 article in Indianapolis, Indiana details:

It’s a movement that started here in Central Indiana but now is gaining traction all across the world. This story is sure to put a smile on your face.

The “just be kind” group started back in 2015 as an after-school club. But when summertime rolled around, the students wanted to continue giving back. That’s when Andrea Hilton stepped in, to offer her garage, as a place for the kids to make signs, t-shirts, and keychains.

The students began making the items there, and then selling them for a profit, to give back to different area organizations. Since then, the JBK signs and apparel have started appearing all over the county, and even in different parts of the world.,

“We posted one the other day from the Middle East. The woman who sent us the picture, said, ‘I apologize, I can’t give you my exact location, I’m in the Middle East,’ and she’s got her shirt on and her keychain,” explained Hilton.

It’s a message that many agree, we need more than ever these days…

How true. We do indeed need more kindness in our world! And the best way to invite kindness form others is to offer it yourself.
Brian Harbour once told a story illustrating this fact.

He tells about a woman who, a few months after having moved to a small town, complained to a neighbor about the poor service at the local drug store. She hoped the new acquaintance would repeat her complaint to the owner. The next time she was in the drug store, the druggist greeted her with a big smile and told her how glad he was to see her. He provided excellent service.

Later, the woman reported the change in the druggist to her friend. She said, “I suppose you told the druggist how poor I thought the service was, and that’s why he changed?” “No,” the new acquaintance said, “I told him that you were amazed at how he had built up this small town drug store, and that you thought it was one of the best run drugstores you had ever seen!”

Dr. Harbour concludes his story with this reminder: “Her kindness to the druggist begat kindness from the druggist because kindness is contagious!”

Little wonder then that the world’s most famous preacher, Jesus Christ, included this admonition in the world’s most well-known discourse (The Sermon on the Mount): “In everything, then, do to others as you would have them do to you.”

With this in mind, let us all join in this business of advocating and exemplifying kindness. And in so doing, let us fulfill the admonition of God’ Word (as found in Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 32), which tells us to: “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

SOURCES:

Just Be Kind Website: https://justbekinditseasy.com/about/.

Article on Spread of the Movement: https://fox59.com/news/just-be-kind-movement-spreading-worldwide/.

SEE ALSO:

Brian Harbour, Brian’s Lines, Volume 8, Number 11, November, 1992, p. 3.

SCRIPTURES:

https://biblehub.com/matthew/7-12.htm; and

https://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-32.htm.

NOW WE KNOW...

2/27/2020

I was struck by a recent February 03, 2020 news article published on www.foxnews.com by James Rogers. It was titled “Diary from World War I Discovered in Barn, Recounts Bloody Battle of the Somme”.

As the title indicates, a British soldier’s battered World War One diary recounting the bloody Battle of the Somme has recently been discovered in a U.K. barn. The diary, which is set to be auctioned off on March 20th by Hanson’s Auctioneers, was written in pencil by Private Arthur Edward Diggens of the Royal Engineers. It begins on February 13, 1916 and ends later that year on October 11th. The entry for July 1, 1916 describes the appalling first day of the infamous Battle of Somme.

"Something awful. Never witnessed anything like it before. After a bombardment of a week the Germans mounted their own trenches and the infantry reckon that every German had a machine gun. Our fellows were mowed down."

The battle, a massive joint operation between British and French forces that attempted to break through German defenses on the Western Front, lasted until November 18, 1916. According to the Imperial War Museum in London, over the course of this single battle, more than one million British, French, and German troops were killed, wounded or captured in action.

The first day of the battle alone resulted in more than 57,000 British casualties, of whom 19,240 were killed. That equates to one soldier being killed every 4.4 seconds during the initial attack, making July 1, 1916 the bloodiest single day in British military history.

Diggens’ diary was inside a box found in a barn in Leicestershire, in England’s Midlands region. It was among numerous other unrelated military items also found in the box. The auction house reports that the owner had no idea who any of the items related to or how they came to be assembled in the box. All he knew as that his mother had been the recipient of some “old family heirlooms”.

As a result, no one can account for exactly how this Somme diary ended up in the Midlands of England, particularly as Diggens was born farther south down in London. Nonetheless, everyone now involved is relieved that such an important piece of military history has been found and brought to light.

Given that the diary ends abruptly on October 11, 1916, one might fear the worst for Private Diggens. But research proves otherwise. It seems that the soldier in question not only survived the First World War, but also returned to his loved ones in England and became a husband and father. He went on to marry his wartime sweetheart Alice (nee Phillips); and the two of them together produced a son in 1920, also called Arthur.

Now, what is truly amazing is that before he ever fought on the Western Front in France, this same soldier, Private Diggens, also took part in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey. This campaign was, of course, reminiscent of Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem about the infamous “Charge of the Light Brigade” which memorialized a suicidal charge by light cavalry over open terrain by British forces in the Battle of Balaclava (Ukraine) in the Crimean War (of 1854-56).

I say this because the Gallipoli campaign involved a series of relentless and futile attacks on Ottoman forts at the entrance of the Dardanelles in February of 1915, all of which failed. These attacks were then followed by an amphibious landing on the Gallipoli peninsula in April of 1915 which was designed to capture the Ottoman capital of Constantinople (Istanbul). It too failed miserably. And, as a result, the allies suffered one their worst defeats of the entire First World War!

Now, what is amazing in all of this is that it seems that a Gallipoli diary was also penned and kept by this same Private Diggens. He appears to have fought in and kept a diary of this terrible conflict, which he then mailed home. Unfortunately, it never arrived! One can only imagine what horrors it recorded!

Even more amazingly, researchers also report that they now know why Private Diggens’ Somme diary ended so suddenly. His future wife Alice had apparently sent him a new address book, which he then used as another diary from October, 1916 onward. Alas! That second Somme diary, too, has been lost!

How frustrating! Three diaries; and only one survived! And even that one was all but lost to posterity. And yet, how perfectly indicative of the larger conflict this is! For sadly, the events of World War Two were soon to overshadow the events of World War One. And in the process, a fair portion of the events of World War One were all but forgotten to history!

Thankfully, the recent centennial of World War One (2014-2018) has sparked a newfound interest in the original “War to End All Wars”. The story of the Private Diggens’ diary comes on the heels of the release of the movie “1917”, which has also brought the horrors of the first great worldwide cataclysm to the attention of the public at large. We would all do well to remember the sacrifices of that forgotten generation of World War One heroes who gave so much for the freedom of the world.

As the above referenced article points out, according to data from the British War Office, over 700,000 British troops were killed during World War I; and almost more 1.7 million were wounded. Around 6 million British troops were mobilized in the conflict. In total, according to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the war resulted in the deaths of 13 million military personnel on both sides; and left another 21 million more wounded. Simply put, World War One is among the deadliest wars in all of history!

For my part, I have been amazed to discover that my own great grandfather had a brother who fought in the World War One Battle of Aisne-Marne just outside Paris from July 18-25, 1918. This battle was significant in that the Allies repulsed the last great German offensive of the war. Thereafter, the Germans retreated, until an armistice was eventually signed in November of that year.

By then, my great uncle, James Walter Jackson, was home. He had been gassed by the Germans in the Battle of Aisne–Marne. He made his way home with a medal hanging on the outside of his chest; and with scarred lungs on the inside. Sadly, he would die 19 years later in a V.A. hospital of tuberculosis – a forgotten casualty of one of the quickest forgotten, and at the same time bloodiest, wars in all of human history.

How ironic, therefore, that the diary referenced above is only expected to bring between $390 to $521 at auction. To this very day, so few people seem to value what all that anonymous generation sacrificed, fought, and even died for.

Yet I, for one, will not forget! Up until now, I might have been forgiven for overlooking such sacrifices. After all, I was ignorant of this period of history and its significance. But not now! Not now that that I know about these sacrifices and the individuals who made them. May God hold me accountable if I do!

Oh, and by the way, you too now know of some of these sacrifices. As a result, you too are now accountable. I trust, therefore, that you, like me, will find some way to honor the memory of those who gave so much on our behalf!

SOURCE: https://www.foxnews.com/science/world-war-i-diary-discovered-barn-battle-of-the-somme.

The author, James Rogers, can be followed on Twitter @jamesjrogers.

GASKET CASE!

2/25/2020

Don’t worry! You did not misread the title above. Nor is it a misspelled word on my part. Let me explain. You see, we have a select few words in English that end in the letters “asket”. Among them are “basket”, “casket”, “gasket”, and “tasket” (as in “a tisket, a tasket, a green and yellow basket”). There may be more; but these are the common ones.

We also have a select few phrases in English that involve these words. Among them is the phrase “basket case”. But for my purposes in this post, I definitely mean “gasket case”.

Of course, the more popular phrase involving “gasket” has to do with “blowing a gasket”. A literal blown gasket is what happens when either a valve cover, intake valve, or head on an engine block springs a leak. And this is precisely what is driving this whole blog post.

My wife’s car recently began smelling hot every time she parked it. If you have ever smelled a hot engine, then you know what I mean when I say that it smelled terrible! Something was clearly wrong; and I knew it. The smell confirmed it!

Now, as we had just had the oil changed, I initially passed it off as oil residue accidentally spilled on the engine block during the refill. This had happened before. But I soon realized that there were problems with this conclusion. To begin with, there never seemed to be any oil leak wherever she parked. More to the point, the smell did not go away, as would be the case once the heat of the engine should have burned any residual oil spillage off the engine block.

So, I took the car back to the repair shop for a second opinion. And sure enough, the engine in her car had indeed blown a valve cover gasket. Barely one full day and one repair bill later, the whole problem has now been resolved; and all is back to normal.

Of course, engines aren’t the only things that can blow a gasket. In a figurative sense, we often speak of persons doing the same thing. Whenever any individual becomes overly angry, loses his or her temper, and “unloads” pent up frustrations upon another, he or she can be said to have “blown a gasket”.

Now, as long as engines have been in existence, gaskets have been subject to be blown. Similarly, as long as human beings have been on this planet, they have had a tendency to lose their temper and “blow a gasket”, as it were.

Such things are fairly regular occurrences in life. So much so that it will be hard for most of us to get through life and not have at least one engine in one automobile we own undergo this. Likewise, it will be virtually impossible for most of us to get through life without blowing a gasket ourselves ever so often!

The real question is what we do when this happens. In the case of my wife’s car, we could not just ignore the matter and pretend like it did not need attention. Far too much was at stake; and therefore, the engine simply had to be fixed. Repairs were thus necessary if we wanted the engine to keep working properly.

In much the same way, whenever you and I as human beings lose our temper and blow a proverbial gasket, we cannot then just proceed as if nothing has happened.

Rather, we must stop, assess the damage, and ascertain how much repair work we may need to undertake. Otherwise, we may well find ourselves in a position where, at the very least, we lose valuable friends; and at the worst, we lose much more in terms of the future.

To be angry on occasion is natural. Even Jesus was angry periodically. All four of the New Testament canonical Gospels tell us that Jesus cleansed the temple of the money changers. One senses that He had some righteous indignation at the time; though we are not actually told that He was angry.

However, in other places in the Gospels, we are indeed told that Jesus was angry. For instance, in Mark’s Gospel (chapter 3, verses 1-6), we read:

1Once again Jesus entered the synagogue, and a man with a withered hand was there. 2In order to accuse Jesus, they were watching to see if He would heal on the Sabbath.

3Then Jesus said to the man with the withered hand, “Stand up among us.” 4And He asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy it?” But they were silent.

5Jesus looked around at them with anger and sorrow at their hardness of heart. Then He said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” So he stretched it out, and it was restored.

6At this, the Pharisees went out and began plotting with the Herodians how they might kill Jesus.

Thus, the Bible can elsewhere affirm (in the New Testament letter to the Ephesians, chapter 4, verse 26) that we can “be angry, and yet sin not”. Indeed, as the New Living Translation of this verse affirms, anger becomes sinful only when we let it “control” us.

Perhaps this is what Jesus had in mind in Matthew (chapter 5, verses 23 and 24, and again in chapter 18, verse 15) when He admonished us to make certain that all was well between us and our brothers and sisters in Christ here on earth before we ever set out to worship the Father Who is up in Heaven!

And so, my friend, if you, like me, have on occasion “blown a gasket”, then rest a little easier tonight. We all do this on occasion. That is simply part of being human. The important thing is what you do afterwards. If you have not yet done so, therefore, get busy and repair the damage as soon as possible.

To prolong the matter is only to invite real and lasting damage! To address it is to fix the problem before it does further harm or injury. And trust me, each and every day thereafter, no matter where you park, the smell will be a lot better too!

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: cf.: www.biblehub.com/. Specifically, search Matthew 21:12-17; Mark 11:15-19; Luke 19:45-48; and John 2:12-25, as they record the story of Jesus cleansing the temple.

SEE ALSO: https://biblehub.com/bsb/mark/3.htm;
https://biblehub.com/ephesians/4-26.htm;
https://biblehub.com/niv/matthew/5.htm;
and https://biblehub.com/matthew/18-15.htm.

WHO ‘S WHO?!

2/21/2020

As I approach retirement, I have begun to sort out the books in both my personal and preaching libraries. As I clearly cannot keep them all, I have made the painful decision that I will only retain certain ones; while I will give away and/or discard certain others.

The problem is that all of this calls for hard decisions. You see, books in a library are not unlike old friends; and many of the volumes in my collection have been my friends since my college days decades ago.

Among those works in my library that I will not be discarding are those by and about Billy Graham. This fellow Southern Baptist Minister had the singular distinction of preaching the gospel to more people in person than any individual in human history. I have blogged numerous times before about Dr. Graham and his influence. (To see these many posts, type in Billy Graham in the search line above.)

The late Paul W. Powell once told the following story about Dr. Graham. According to Rev. Powell, it seems that…

Billy Graham was once speaking in Florida; and they picked him up in a beautiful stretch limousine. It was the finest car he had ever seen. Following his speech, they were taking him back to the airport; and he said to the chauffeur, “Sir, this is the finest car I’ve ever seen in my life. Would you mind if I drive it?”

The man said, “Mr. Graham, this is a very expensive car, and I am responsible for it. I’m not sure.” Graham said, “I’ll be very careful if you will just let me try.”

So, the chauffeur got out, moved into the backseat, and let Graham behind the steering wheel. He got on the freeway; and his foot got a little heavy; and he was going 80 miles per hour when a patrolman pulled him over.

Approaching the limo with its darkly tinted windows, the patrolman asked to see the license of the driver, whereupon he quickly recognized that it was none other than Dr. Billy Graham.

Thereafter, he immediately went back to his car, radioed the dispatch office, and said to his superior, “Sir, I’ve got a very important person in a limousine pulled over, and I don’t exactly know what to do.”

The dispatcher asked, “Oh, is it Shaquille O’Neal?” (Who played for the Miami Heat at the time.) The man replied, “No.” The dispatcher said, “Well is it Jeb Bush?” (At the time, Governor of Florida.) The man replied, “No.” The dispatcher said, “Is it President Bush?” (At the time, President of the U.S.A.) The man replied, “No.”

He said, “Well, who is it?” The man replied, “I don’t know, sir. But it may well be Jesus Himself, because Billy Graham is his chauffeur!”

Obviously, this is a fictitious story, designed to evoke humor. (After all, Dr. Graham’s official autobiography, Just As I Am, which was published in 1997, eleven years before his death on February 21, 2018, certainly does not record any such occurrence.)

But that does not change the fact that the story implies that the one person on earth who was (and still is) viewed as the closest person to Jesus Christ by American society at large was (and still is) Billy Graham.

Now, for me, this raises a question. How will I personally be remembered? Will I be remembered as someone who was very close to Jesus Christ? Or when I am recalled, will Jesus Christ not even come to mind?

Rest assured that I am not alone here. For the same question might very well be applied to you also!

At this point, you may be wondering if you yourself would be remembered as having been close to God! I trust you would be. But if not, then consider these words from the New Testament Letter of James the Apostle to the members of the church at large:

7“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9Grieve, mourn, and weep. Turn your laughter to mourning, and your joy to gloom. 10Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you.”

No doubt, this is exactly how Billy Graham chose to live his life. No doubt this is also why we still remember him the way we do! Of course, if you and I would be remembered as Billy Graham is remembered today, then we would do well to live our lives much as Dr. Graham did!

Who’s who in your life? More to the point – who should be?!

SOURCES:

JOKE:
Paul W. Powell Laugh and Live Longer: Good Humor to Brighten and Lighten Your Life (Self Published by Paul W. Powell, 5603 Elderwood Drive, Tyler, Texas 75703, 2008 A.D.).

AVAILABLE ONLINE AT:
https://www.baylor.edu/content/services/document.php/66830.pdf.

SEE ALSO:
https://billygraham.org/.

SCRIPTURE:
https://biblehub.com/bsb/james/4.htm.

"LAND 'A PLENTY!"

2/18/2020

Years ago, when I lived in south Georgia during my first pastorate, a wealthy man in the community (who owned more land than anyone else) was noted for how he had once responded when someone asked him if he wanted all the land in the world. His reply was “No! I just want to own every acre attached to what I already own!”

Whenever I think of this, I am reminded of a story that the famous Russian writer Leo Tolstoy once wrote about a successful peasant farmer who was not satisfied with his lot. He too wanted more of everything.

One day he received a novel offer. For 1000 rubles, he could buy all the land he could walk around in a day. The only catch in the deal was that he had to be back at his starting point by sundown.
Early the next morning he started out walking at a fast pace. By midday he was very tired, but he kept going, covering more and more ground.

Well into the afternoon he realized that his greed had taken him far from the starting point. He quickened his pace and as the sun began to sink low in the sky, he began to run, knowing that if he did not make it back by sundown the opportunity to become an even bigger landholder would be lost.

As the sun began to sink below the horizon he came within sight of the finish line. Gasping for breath, his heart pounding, he called upon every bit of strength left in his body and staggered across the line just before the sun disappeared. He immediately collapsed, blood streaming from his mouth. In a few minutes he was dead.

Afterwards, his servants dug a grave. It was not much over six feet long and three feet wide. The title of Tolstoy's story was: “How Much Land Does a Man Need”?

Jesus Christ also has a lot to say to us about the dangers of greed. Consider the teachings in His famed “Sermon on the Mount” in the New Testament Gospel of Matthew chapters 5-7.

But this is not the only place He cautions against cupidity. He warns His disciples not to be like the Rich young Ruler who went away saddened by Jesus’ challenge to sell all he had because his love for his many possessions was interfering with his pursuit of eternal life (Matthew 19:16-30; Mark 10:17-31; Luke 18:18-29).

Elsewhere, in the Gospel of Luke (chapter 12, verses 13-21), He relates “The Parable of the Rich Fool”:

13Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” 14But Jesus replied, “Man, who appointed Me judge or executor between you?” 15And He said to them, “Watch out! Guard yourselves against every form of greed, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

16Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. 17So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. 19Then I will say to myself, “You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take it easy. Eat, drink, and be merry!”’

20But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be required of you. Then who will own what you have accumulated?’ 21This is how it will be for anyone who stores up treasure for himself but is not rich toward God.”

In light of these things, I echo Tolstoy’s piercing question... “Just how much does a person really need to possess in this world?” The answer is likely to be: “Far less than we are initially inclined to think!”

STORY SOURCE: Tolstoy’s story is available widely online. See for instance:
http://www.gutenberg.org/files/6157/6157-h/6157-h.htm. Scroll down to a little beyond halfway down the page.

NOTE: My immediate source for this story is the November, 1991 print edition of Bits & Pieces Magazine.

SEE ALSO: https://bitsandpieces.biz/; and https://motivateandinspire.com/.

SCRIPTURE SOURCES: https://biblehub.com/context/matthew/19-16.htm;
https://biblehub.com/context/mark/10-17.htm;
https://biblehub.com/context/luke/18-18.htm; and
https://biblehub.com/context/luke/12-13.htm.

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