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BACK IN SCHOOL

5/30/2014

At present, our community is virtually a no man’s land.  As is usually the case during the first week or two after Memorial Day, many people have left town for a well-earned vacation.  The trigger for this annual migration is, of course, the letting out of school.

I can still remember the fanfare (in my mind as a student, at least) that accompanied the end of the school year.  The radio usually blared forth Alice Cooper’s anthem multiple times throughout the week: "Out for summer, out till fall, we might not go back at all… School's out forever… School's out for summer!" Feelings of exhilaration were in the air as a sense of freedom abounded in most every student’s heart. Sure, school would resume again, but that was not until the fall - three whole months away. For now, at least, we were free!

But then, my way of thinking slowly began to change. As high school unfolded, I soon realized that summers out of school no longer meant carefree days of frolicking, picnicking, and swimming.   Rather, it meant getting a job. It meant working! Dare I say it; as a result, very soon I actually missed school.

And then came the spring of 1979.   I finished up at high school a quarter early. (We were on the quarter system back then.) Now, I had been planning for this all along. It had been my intention to build up my credits so I could get out early in order to get a job to save up some money for college.

When I came home from school for the last time on that spring day, the house was empty.  I remember that I sat down in chair in the living room and, rather suddenly found myself overcome with remorse. Wow! School really was over. Sure, all my friends were out as well. But they were only on a brief hiatus. Soon they would return to school.

But not me. I was headed to work first thing Monday morning at the local Chevrolet dealership.  While all of my friends (including my girlfriend) were living it up and laughing together all day long at school, I would now be washing cars and sweeping floors eight hours a day for a whopping $3.25 per hour. Abruptly, I was filled with envy for my friends and pity for myself. I broke down and, alone in my little world, had myself a good cry.

Of course, six months later, I was back in school - this time at a junior college. And a year later, school was out again. Three months later, I was a student at major university. Three years later, school was out again. As it was to be once again, three years later after I finished seminary. And then again, four years later after graduate school was over.

Ironically, in this year in which my high school graduating class is celebrating its 35th anniversary, I am still in school, working on a second doctorate this time.   And even if I were not, there is one thing I have learned; and that is that school never lets out. Indeed, one will always be enrolled in some form of school in life.

At times, this will be quite literal.  Indeed, most professions require some sort of continuing education process in order to maintain certification. School teachers must take so many units of continuing education in order to remain in the classroom. The same is true for physicians, lawyers, bankers, etc…  In truth, many denominations even require their clergy to take continuing
education classes.

But even if one is not in such a profession, companies usually mandate courses in learning in how to operate new equipment, employee safety, procedures, etc… And yet, in a very real sense, no matter where one works or does not work, we all remain in school for life.  If nothing else, we find ourselves enrolled in the proverbial "School of Hard Knocks"!

for learning, I have discovered, is indeed a life-long process. So much so that he or she who stops learning is in trouble; for he or she will soon be left behind, and thus run the risk of quickly becoming obsolete.

All of this reminds me of the words of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew (chapter 11, verse 29): "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me…"   Two words chosen by Jesus are of interest in this verse.   The first is the word "learn".   In the original language of the New Testament (Koine, or "common" Greek), the word is “mathete”, meaning “to be a disciple”.

It comes from the root word "manthano", which properly means "learning key facts". But the emphasis is on gaining "fact-knowledge as someone learns from experience, often with the implication of reflection, as in 'coming to realize' (something over time)" (http://biblehub.com/greek/3129.htm).

Jesus, the Great Teacher, reminds us that following Him means being a student for life. We learn from Him over the long haul. We do not graduate from "Discipleship 101" and thereafter never need learn more.

The second word is "yoke". It is the word "zygon", meaning a the yoke worn by oxen while plowing. In represents "the ancient Jewish idea of a heavy burden, comparable to the heavy yokes resting on the necks of bulls or oxen".  But again, as words have meaning both in their denotation and in their connotation, there is much more to the word Jesus chose to use here.

While "zygos" (same word as "zygon", only in the nominative case) properly means a yoke, or a wooden bar placed over the neck of a pair of animals so they can pull together; "it figuratively means what unites (or joins) two people to move (or work) together as one. It reflects the uniting of two elements working together as one unit, like when two pans (weights) operate together on a balance-scale – or a pair of oxen pulls a single plough" (http://biblehub.com/greek/2218.htm).

So, as followers of Jesus, we are to learn from Him continuously throughout life. And we do this most effectively as we walk with Him, hand in hand (or yoked together), throughout the various tasks ands/or struggles of life. Now, isn’t that good news?! The lessons of life can often be hard on us. But as we struggle with their difficulty, we do so hand in hand, arm in arm, with the one who helps us learn from the experience.

How about that? We have none other than the Son of God Himself for a personal Tutor!  That being the case, all I can say is, “Sign me up for every available course!” For, along with my fellow student, Paul the Apostle, it is with confidence that I proclaim (Philippians 4:13):  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." And praise God, this includes any old assignment, no matter how daunting, that the school of life can ever dish out!

NEVER FORGET

5/25/2014

I mentioned this past Sunday that I had been re-organizing my library.  That may not sound like much unless you happen to be a bibliophile. But for the first time in years, I can actually lay my hands on pretty much any book I own.

Along the way, I have rediscovered a few books I had all but forgotten about.  The rediscovery of one or two of them in particular, like a reunion with some long lost old friend, have proven to be a tremendous blessing.

As this is Memorial Day weekend, I thought I would post a story from one of them. It is from an old 1977 paperback titled Paul Harvey's The Rest of the Story by Paul Aurandt (who was Paul Harvey’s real life son and who collected up several of his “The Rest of the Story” radio programs, including this one, for publication).

The name of the story is “The Old Man and the Gulls”.  It goes like this…

It is gratitude that prompted an old man to visit an old broken pier on the eastern seacoast of Florida. Every Friday night, until his death in 1973, he would return, walking slowly and slightly stooped with a large bucket of shrimp. The sea gulls would flock to this old man, and he would feed them from his bucket.

Many years before, in October, 1942, Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was on a mission in a B-17 to deliver an important message to General Douglas MacArthur in New Guinea. But there was an unexpected detour which would hurl Captain Eddie into the most harrowing adventure of his life.

Somewhere over the South Pacific the Flying Fortress became lost beyond the reach of radio. Fuel ran dangerously low, so the men ditched their plane in the ocean. For nearly a month Captain Eddie and his companions would fight the water, and the weather, and the scorching sun. They spent many sleepless nights recoiling as giant sharks rammed their rafts. The largest raft was nine by five. The biggest shark...ten feet long.

But of all their enemies at sea, one proved most formidable: starvation. Eight days out, their rations were long gone or destroyed by the salt water. It would take a miracle to sustain them. And a miracle occurred.

In Captain Eddie's own words, "Cherry," that was the B- 17 pilot, Captain William Cherry, "read the service that afternoon, and we finished with a prayer for deliverance and a hymn of praise. There was some talk, but it tapered off in the oppressive heat. With my hat pulled down over my eyes to keep out some of the glare, I dozed off."

Now this is still Captain Rickenbacker talking ... "Something landed on my head. I knew that it was a sea gull. I don't know how I knew, I just knew. Everyone else knew too. No one said a word, but peering out from under my hat brim without moving my head, I could see the expression on their faces. They were staring at that gull. The gull meant food ... if I could catch it."

And the rest, as they say, is history. Captain Eddie caught the gull. Its flesh was eaten. Its intestines were used for bait to catch fish. The survivors were sustained and their hopes renewed because a lone sea gull, uncharacteristically hundreds of miles from land, offered itself as a sacrifice. You know that Captain Eddie made it.

And now you also know...that he never forgot.  Because every Friday evening, about sunset ... on a lonely stretch along the eastern Florida seacoast ... you could see an old man walking ... white-haired, bushy-eyebrowed, slightly bent. His bucket filled with shrimp was to feed the gulls ... to remember that one which, on a day long past, gave itself without a struggle ... like manna in the wilderness.

This Memorial Day weekend, why not take time to remember those who sacrificed in order to give you what all you now have? This includes the soldiers – men and women who died for our political freedom, to be sure. But it also includes the Savior who died for our eternal freedom!   Savior and soldier, both gave all they had to give in order to make certain we have life, liberty, and happiness. May we never forget either!

MY PLANS FOR MEMORIAL DAY

5/22/2014

A web site titled http://www.vietvet.org/thepast.htm is devoted to “Reflections, Memories, and Images of Vietnam Past”. It provides opportunities for Vietnam veterans to post their often overlooked thoughts about their service to our country.

One contributor is "Gunner 44" - James E. Leiker.  According to his short bio, he served with Battery B of 1st Battalion, 11th Marines in I Corps from 69-71.  He operated out of China Beach and Hill 55 for most of his tour. He also did a short stint on OP Crow’s Nest in the Marble Mountain area.  He served as an Artilleryman, FDC, Radio, and even a stint as Admin Chief.

He is currently gainfully employed as the Manufacturing Manager for a growing telecommunications company in Norcross, GA. He has taken the time to make three postings on the site: “A Hug From The Wall”, “Life In The Nam”, and “What I'll Be Doing For Memorial Day”*.

With Memorial Day weekend on the horizon, I wanted to repost the latter of these here today. Be advised, it is quite moving.

What I'll Be Doing For Memorial Day
By James E. Leiker

Memorial Day is a rough day for me. It's a day of remembering. Remembering can be curse when you've spent years trying to forget. It's even worse when you get mad at yourself for not being able to remember. It's strange that you forget so many things you want to remember and remember so much that you really want to forget.

I spent 11 months, 28 days in sunny Southeast Asia. I came back physically whole. "No members missing" tag on this Marine. By the Grace of God, good training, and just plain pure dumb luck, I suffered no more than a slight hearing loss, a concussion or two, and 25 years of mixed-blessing memories.

I've been a good husband to my wife, a lousy father to my two daughters, a mediocre son to my mother, and a reasonably successful employee to five employers over the years. With these results, I consider myself as doing better than the average bear when compared to many of my fellow veterans. The Grace of God and luck still abound.

Memorial Day is not a day for self-evaluation or selfish thoughts. So I turn my remembrances to other people, places, and things.

I remember heat. Heat that kept you from getting a full breath for weeks. Heat that sapped your strength so that you were beyond exhaustion after a minor exertion. Heat that made you tired and kept you from sleeping. Heat that made you sweat buckets. Heat that made you freezing cold at 70 degrees.

I remember lush green mountains that always seemed to go up not down. I remember red earth that was sticky enough to glue a deuce and a half in place, slippery enough to make it impossible to stand on, and dusty enough to choke you into a
coughing fit like a bad cigar.

I remember rice paddies. They could get you killed or save your life. Dikes stop bullets but can leave you exposed if you're dumb enough to walk on them. The water smelled of feces but was better than not drinking at all.

I remember rain. Rain that broke the intolerable heat then never stopped. Rain that was as gentle as silk or as stinging as a nest of bees. Rain that let you get a good clean shower and rotted your feet 'til they bled.

I remember the sun. The sun that created the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets I've ever seen in my life. The sun that you couldn't look at...if you ever wanted to see again. The sun that you could feel without touching it.

I remember a moon that shone so bright you could read a map by it. I remember moonlight dancing on foliage that made you see nothing one minute and imagine a host of slinking VC the next.

I'll never forget the colors of an explosion close at hand. The white center bleeding out to a yellow ring surrounded by black rolling smoke was beautiful and terrifying at the same time.

I remember the orange and green tracers dancing lazily through the night, while I prayed that none came to roost on me.

But above all this, I remember people. Faces, personalities, and human events still crowd my days and nights with pleasure and pain. I can remember entire conversations and events in explicit detail. I cannot remember the names of more than a few, and I don't know why. Shouldn't this be the other way around?

I remember the parting face of the Huey jock, who took an RPG in the nose 100 yards after he lifted off from leaving me in a clearing. I remember every detail of the guy who hung himself 2 weeks before he was going back to the world. I remember the guitar songs taught to me by the kid from Boston, who drove a jeep over a 105 shell buried on a dirt road and tripped the trap.

I remember the quiet calm of the guy who told me he was sorry and assured me that I would be O.K. after he stepped on a mortar-round booby trap. All this while I held what was left of him in my arms, and we filled him with enough morphine to kill a horse because he was cut in half below the waist; and we knew
he wouldn't survive the slick ride back to DaNang.

Of the hundreds I knew, I kick myself for remembering so few. Especially on this Memorial Day when I should be able to remember each and every one. They are the ones who paid for this Memorial Day. This is their day.   I will not spoil it by forgetting even one of their number.

God help me, I will remember. From this day forth I will carry their memory and spirit with me as a living memorial to their sacrifice and dedication to God, country, duty, and honor. They shall not pass gently into the night as long as I have breath in my body to shout to the world...

REMEMBER, REMEMBER...  For God's sake Remember.

*SOURCE: http://www.vietvet.org/gunner44.htm.

NON-TRIVIAL PURSUITS

5/15/2014

A recent survey conducted by the Higher Education Research Institute helped to identify what is considered "essential" in the mind of the typical college freshman. It found that 85.8 percent of those interviewed say they desire to get rich.

That is a 43 percent increase over what the typical college freshman thought back in 1967. As for developing a meaningful philosophy of life? Only 45 percent found it to be of any real worth. And that is a 29 percent drop!

According to research collected by Pew Research for the MacNeil/Lehrer Productions' "Generation Next" project, 18–25-year-olds listed the following as their top goal in life:

To be rich—81 percent,
To be famous—51 percent,
To help people who need help—30 percent,
To be leaders in their community—22 percent,
To become more spiritual—10 percent.*

Of course, most of us will not be surprised by these findings - not given the value system that is constantly pushed upon our children by society.  But surely there must be more to life than being self-centered and money hungry! Surely there is more to life than the mere pursuit of what is ultimately so trivial! There is. And the Apostle Paul reminds us of this on many occasions in the New Testament.

This past Sunday morning, as we recognized 22 high school graduates at our church, we took time to focus on the words that the Apostle Paul penned to young Timothy in the opening chapter of his second New Testament letter addressed to him (II Timothy 1:1-14):

Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, in keeping with the promise of life that is in Christ Jesus, to Timothy, my dear son: Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord.

I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy.  I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline. So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God.

He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

And of this gospel I was appointed a herald and an apostle and a
teacher. That is why I am suffering as I am. Yet this is no cause for shame, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him until that day.

What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus.  Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.

Paul here reminds Timothy of the sincere faith instilled in him by his mother and grandmother.   Thereafter, he challenges young Timothy to let that faith have the ultimate preeminence in his unfolding life. Specifically, young Timothy is encouraged to do four things:

1. To fan something (the spiritual gift he has been given - into flame);
2. To join in something (suffering as a result of having the gospel actually cost him in some way);
3. To keep something (the pattern of sound teaching he has received form God’s word); and
4. To guard something (the good deposit of the Christian faith that has been entrusted to him).

Not a word about getting rich! Not a word about becoming famous! In fact, Paul's message to young Timothy turns the world's value system on its head! For Timothy, as a follower of Jesus Christ, becoming more spiritual and then leading and helping others is more of what life should be all about!

The same message still applies to young people today.  A life dominated by the mere pursuits of wealth and fame will ultimately prove to be empty and unfulfilling.  Many a celebrity has died rich on the outside and yet hollow on the inside! Just ask old King Solomon! By contrast, a life devoted to glorifying God by the recognition and pursuit of one’s spiritual gift(s) on behalf of others will invariably bring much more personal fulfillment and satisfaction.

For, in the end, that is what Jesus himself did! He gave up the riches of eternity and devoted Himself wholeheartedly to enabling and enriching His fellow man. Why then should we as his followers expect our lives to be any different?

Donald Grey Barnhouse, a gifted communicator of a previous generation, once shared the following story…

Many years ago, two students graduated from the Chicago-Kent College of Law. The highest ranking student in the class was a blind man named Overton and, when he received his honor, he insisted that half the credit should go to his friend, Kaspryzak.

They had met one another in school when the armless Mr. Kaspryzak had guided the blind Mr. Overton down a flight of stairs. This acquaintance ripened into friendship and a beautiful example of interdependence.

The blind man carried the books which the armless man read aloud in their common study, and thus the individual deficiency of each was compensated for by the other. After their graduation, they planned to practice law together.**

May we always remember that, as believers, we are not complete in and of ourselves. Rather, we are uniquely positioned by God to minister with and to one another, as well as to the world. Only as we devote our lives to this understanding will we truly be successful!

*SOURCES: Research work via www.gseis.ucla.edu and www.pewresearch.org.

**SOURCE: An excellent sermon by Levi Durfey, a pastor who serves at First Baptist Church of Baker, Montana contains this story. It can be found online at: http://montanapastor.wordpress.com/2013/10/13/sermon-christ-gives-his-church-gifts/.

THE POWER OF PARENTAL INFLUENCE

5/12/2014

I still remember the assignment, even after 32 years. It was the first sermon I was ever asked to prepare.   I was in a college class on “Love and Marriage”.   We were utilizing a textbook by C. S. Lewis while studying the four Greek words for love in the world of the New Testament. These are:

1. “Philia”, or love between friends;
2. “Eros”, or love between a man and a woman;
3. “Storge”, or the love between a parent and a child; and
4. “Agape”, or the love between God and mankind.

I was given an assignment to prepare a message on “Storge”. And it was in the process of writing that first ever sermon that I came across a fable originally related by the Greek slave Aesop some 2500 years ago.   That fable, which I shared this past Sunday in my message on Mother’s Day, reminds us all of the importance of loving our children in a responsible manner. I thought I would post it here today.

“The Young Thief and His Mother”, a Fable by Aesop

A schoolboy stole a book from one of his fellows, and brought it home to his mother. Instead of scolding him, she fully went along with his wrongful deed.

In time the boy, now grown into a man, began to steal things of greater worth, till at last being witnessed once more taking something which did not belong to him he was bound, hands behind his back, and led to the gallows.

Upon seeing his mother following amongst the crowd, wailing and beating her breast in sorrow, he asked the sheriff to let him whisper one last word in her ear. When she quickly drew near and put her ear to her son’s mouth, he almost bit it off.

Upon this she yelled out loudly, and the bystanders flocked forward chiding the uncaring son, as if his evil ways had not been enough, but that his last deed must be one of greater unkindness towards his mother.

But he answered; “It is she who is the wright of my wrongs; for if, when first I stole my schoolfellow’s book and brought it to her, she had given me a sound thrashing, I should never have grown so wicked in my ways and come to this untimely end”

Aesop always included a moral at the end of each of his fables. Here the moral is: “Teach a child to follow after the right things of life, and when he is old he will not wander from worthiness.”

Those who are familiar with their Bible will immediately recognize the similarity to Proverbs 22:6 (KJV): “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”

I thank God for my own mother’s influence upon my life.  She kept me on the straight and narrow (not always an easy task); and I pray I never disappoint either her or the God she taught me to love and serve.

SOURCE: http://anglish.wikia.com/wiki/Aesop's_Tales/The_Thief
_and_his_Mother.

NOTE: C. S. Lewis’ masterful book, The Four Loves, is a classic available at Christian bookstores nationwide and/or online from most any notable bookseller.

THANK GOD FOR MOMS

5/8/2014

Steven Skelley is a gifted author, journalist, Contemporary Christian Music singer/songwriter, tennis instructor, and last, but not least, ordained minister who resides down in Florida. Among the songs he has written is one titled Thank You, God.  It is a wonderful piece about a grown man who eventually comes to realize the role played by his own mother during his upbringing.

As she stood at the top of the stairs, she'd say "honey time to get up"
Wiping the sleep from my eyes, I'd say "okay Mom"
As I went on with my six year old life, I never even realized
How much work, how much time had been spent on me
Now I see
Thank You God

As she stood at the open back door, she'd say honey have a great day
Turning to see her smile, I'd say "okay Mom"
As I went on with my teenage life, I never even realized
How much work, how much time had been spent on me
Now I see
Thank You God

As a grown man now with a child of my own,
I stop when I hear the words "okay Mom"
As she says this to my wife, I finally come to realize
How much work, how much time must be spent on these
Now I see
Thank You God
For making Moms*

As I recount these lyrics, I cannot help but be reminded of the following affirmation from John Killinger’s book, Lost in Wonder, Love, and Praise. Most of us naturally begin to give our attention to Mother’s Day at this time of year.   As we do, these words on the worth and value of motherhood taken from Dr. Killinger’s book of prayers serves as appropriate food for thought.

I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of the loving God, who was born of the promise to a virgin named Mary.

I believe in the love Mary gave her son, that caused her to follow Him in his ministry and stand by His cross as he died.

I believe in the love of all mothers, and its importance in the lives of the children they bear. It is stronger than steel, softer than down, and more resilient than a green sapling on the hillside. It closes wounds, melts disappointments, and enables the weakest child to stand tall and straight in the fields of adversity.

I believe that this love, even at its best, is only a shadow of the love of God, a dark reflection of all that we can expect of Him, both in this life and the next.

And I believe that one of the most beautiful sights in the world is a mother who lets this greater love flow through her to her child, blessing the world with the tenderness of her touch and the tears of her joy.**

Yes, indeed, thank God for moms!

SOURCES:

*Steven Skelley’s material is available online from  his personal web site, which is located at http://www.stevenskelley.20megsfree.com/index.html. Here, you can find out more about this and other songs he has written, as well as information about availability for purchase and/or booking.

**Dr. John Killinger is currently a free-lance writer and lecturer. He is also a former Pastor who has taught at Princeton Theological Seminary, Vanderbilt Divinity School, and Samford University.  A prolific author, he has written over fifty books on topics ranging from Christian history to world religions.  He specializes in works on preaching, pastoral ministry, personal spirituality, and theology and contemporary culture.  His books are available at local bookstores and online distributors worldwide.

In a review of this particular book, Lost in Wonder, Love and Praise: Prayers for Christian Worship (Abingdon Press, 2001), Dr. William H. Willimon, Dean of the Chapel and Professor of Christian Ministry at Duke University in North Carolina, has written: "John Killinger has been helping us to worship the true, living, and interesting God for a long time. John loves words, particularly words spoken to God by those who have heard God speak.  This is a wonderful collection of prayers."   I, for one, concur.

NO CHARGE!

5/4/2014

Forty years ago, in April of 1974, a struggling young singer named Melba Montgomery was forwarded a song that had been written by Harlan Howard. It was titled “No Charge”.   She promptly recorded it; and by the end of May of that year, it had reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart, and also No. 39 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Needless to say, she enjoyed her first measure of success as a result.

The lyrics, which have since been covered by numerous other artists, are quite moving. In fact, the writer of the song, in an interview for the book, The Billboard Book of Number One Country Hits, once stated the following:

"I've never written a song that moves people so much. I've had guys tell me they almost wrecked their truck when they heard it 'cause it made them cry. I had a lot of delightful records in many different languages on that song, but I guess that's probably my favorite song as far as impact is concerned."

The song recounts the story of a little boy who one day hands his mother a piece of paper that contains an itemized list of charges he believes he is owed for having carried out his simple daily chores. The mother’s response involves a reminder for her son about all the things she has done for him without ever having sought payment for the services she rendered.

Her response concludes with the admonishment that "the cost of real love is no charge". Thereafter, lovingly chastised, and definitely enlightened, the young boy realizes that his mother is right and forgives all of the charges he was previously set on collecting.

I am posting the lyrics below today as a means for reflection during this week leading up to Mother's Day. As I do, I hope they serve to remind us all of the true reason and purpose for which this special day exists.   If you, like me, had a mother who did such things for you, remember how blessed you were.

If she is still with you, then why not seek her out and let her know what all she means to you?   If she has already gone on to her reward, then why not thank God for her impact on your life? Above all, though, why not carry on her legacy by finding ways to love and serve others as unselfishly as she once did you?

NO CHARGE

My little boy came into the kitchen this evenin'
While I was fixin' supper
And he handed me a piece of paper he'd been writin' on
And after wipin' my hands on my apron
I read it and this is what it said

For mowin' the yard, five dollars
And for makin' my own bed this week, one dollar
And for goin' to the store, fifty cents
An' playin' with little brother
While you went shoppin', twenty-five cents

Takin' out the trash, one dollar
Gettin' a good report card, five dollars
And for rakin' the yard, two dollars
Total owed, fourteen seventy-five

Well, I looked at him standin' there expectantly
And a thousand mem'ries flashed through my mind
So I picked up the pen, turnin' the paper over
This is what I wrote

For nine months, I carried you
Growin' inside me, no charge
For the nights I've sat up with you
Doctored you, prayed for you, no charge

For the time and the tears
And the cost through the years, there's no charge
When you add it all up
The full cost of my love is no charge

For the nights filled with dread
And the worries ahead, no charge
For advice and the knowledge
And the cost of your college, no charge

For the toys, food and clothes
And for wipin' your nose, there's no charge, son
When you add it all up
The full cost of my love, is no charge

Well, when he finished readin'
He had great big old tears in his eyes
And he looked up at me and he said
"Mama, I sure do love you"

Then he took the pen
And in great big letters he wrote 'Paid in full'
When you add it all up
The cost of real love is no charge

SOURCE:   http://www.songlyrics.com/melba-montgomery/no-charge-lyrics/.
SEE ALSO: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Charge.

MY FRIEND MULLIGAN!

5/1/2014

Each spring, our church holds an annual men’s golf outing.  I am looking forward this year to playing in a foursome along with my son and his wife’s father and grandfather.  At some point, I am confident that I will even contribute something to our team.

Now, I do not say this to brag. Golf is certainly not my forte. Rather I say this because it is to be a best ball tournament.  And those of you who know anything about golf will know that such a setup eventually allows most any member of the team to get lucky and actually contribute an occasional shot or two, and to do so without necessarily being a drain on the team the rest of the time.

In truth, these days, I only play golf for the fellowship anyway. You see, I learned long ago that I am simply too much of a perfectionist to take golf seriously. I have just accepted the fact that a good day for me will be finding more balls in the woods than I actually lose there.

And thus, I enjoy playing golf with my own more casual rules.  This usually allows for at least one mulligan per each nine holes - and even more if the situation warrants!

“A mulligan”, as http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulligan_(games) aptly informs us, “happens when a player gets a second chance to perform a certain move or action. The practice is also sometimes referred to as a ‘do-over.’ In golf, a mulligan is a stroke that is replayed from the spot of the previous stroke without penalty, due to an errant shot made on the previous stroke. The result is, as the hole is played and scored, as if the first errant shot had never been made.”

Obviously, this practice is disallowed entirely by the strict rules of golf.  But, as most casual golfers readily agree, in everyday recreational play, mulligans actually speed play by reducing the time spent searching for lost balls. They also reduce frustration and increase enjoyment of the game, allowing the average player to "shake off" a bad shot more easily with a second chance.

Accustomed to such play, I myself can barely fathom playing a tournament by strict rules. Even worse, imagine having to shoulder the entire scoring load alone. The pressure would probably be unbearable. Yet professional golfers do all these things week in and week out.

Gordon Dabbs is a gifted communicator of the Gospel. On pages 169-170 of his recent book, Epic Fail: Gaining Wisdom from Failures of Biblical Proportion (Abilene, Texas: Leafwood Publishers, 2013), he shares the following illustration:

For pro golfer Kyle Stanley, 2012 looked to be off to a perfect start. Stanley had never recorded a PGA win, but in January, it looked like that was about to change. At Torrey Pines in San Diego, Kyle held a four-shot lead going into the eighteenth hole on the final round.

Challenger Brandt Snedeker had almost no hope of winning. The only chance for Snedeker would be a complete meltdown by Kyle Stanley. On this fateful Sunday afternoon, Stanley quickly went from being anointed a rising star to pulling off one of the worst collapses in golf history. On the par five eighteenth hole, Stanley would take a triple-bogey eight.

Stanley's historic meltdown was sealed when Snedeker beat him in the ensuing playoff. The young pro had pried defeat from the jaws of victory. Afterward, when Stanley was asked what happened, he replied, "It's not a hard golf hole. I could probably play it a thousand times and never make an eight."

During the first of four rounds of golf, Stanley had dominated the eighteenth hole, but, when the championship was on the line, he shot an eight. Kyle Stanley's collapse is a reminder that it's not how you start that matters, but how you finish.

I love this story. It speaks to me on so many levels. And the lessons it offers are numerous… From Stanley’s perspective, one might say, “Remember that it is important to finish any given task as well as you begin it.”   Or perhaps, “Be careful because pride always goes before a fall.”  But from Snedeker’s perspective, the admonition might well be: “Never quit. Remember that anything can happen!”

In all of this, as Dr. Dabbs well makes the point in his book, there is a reason that the Bible records the stories of men and women who were both “heroes and zeroes”. We can learn life lessons from the stories of the Bible's greatest failures as well as we can from its greatest successes!

Thus, the Bible openly and honestly records the stories of men and women whose lives collapsed in sin and shame as well as those who served long and well.   The biographical stories of people like Jezebel and Judas, whose lives did not have happy endings, become for us an invitation from God’s Word to learn and grow from our own similar failures.

And one thing is for certain. Kyle Stanley is not alone. All of us will experience the pain, the shame, and even the sorrow that accompanies failure. But that is ultimately actually alright; because sometimes we have to fail in order to succeed.

Just ask any successful athlete, or coach, or entrepreneur, or scientist, or politician, teacher, or writer, or minister, or parent, etc…   Setbacks are a part of life. And every one of them is an opportunity to take stock, to evaluate, to learn, to adjust, to adapt, and eventually then to succeed.

For, even though we are human, and are destined to fail, with God's help and a willingness to grow, we can resolve to fail forward.  And, as if to prove this point, Kyle Stanley did just that!

As Paul Harvey used to say, here is "The Rest of the Story". The very next week, on February 5, 2012, Stanley overcame an eight shot deficit behind 54 hole leader Spencer Levin at the Waste Management Phoenix Open in Scottsdale for his first ever PGA Tour win!

In doing so, he shot a bogey-free 65 for a final round one stroke victory over fellow golfer Ben Crane. Moreover, the eight shot comeback win was tied for third in the largest final round comeback by any winner in PGA Tour history!

Talk about failing forward! That pretty much epitomizes the concept! More importantly, it gives me hope for the next time I mess up. I trust it does the same for you.

SOURCES: Dr. Dabbs’ book is available at Christian bookstores everywhere, as well as most prominent online booksellers.  Dr. Dabbs’ blog can be found at: http://gordondabbs.com/. Prestoncrest, the church where he pastors, can be found at: http://prestoncrest.org/about/ministers/gordon-dabbs.