"March Madness" or "The Road To The Final Four!"

  For the next few days we will all hear a lot about “March Madness” or the “Road To the Final Four!”  Now for that one person who has no idea what these terms mean, let me tell you that it is the time of year for the NCAA basketball championship!  One team will emerge as the national champion in collegiate basketball!  That means one team out of hundreds will be the winner!  Amazing!

 Fans will be glued to their televisions cheering on their favorite teams.  Money will be won and lost due to the final score in individual games.  Professional careers will be enhanced or damaged directly connected to the way a player conducts himself in clutch situations.  Coaches will be hired and fired based upon how far their team got in the national tournament.

 As much as I love basketball, all of the above is crazy!  It is just a game!  Yes, it is a test of skill and physical endurance, but it is just a game.  World peace does not hinge on who is victorious!  Cancer will not be cured because one team played better than the others!  The economic downturn will not be overcome based upon the score of the championship game!  Yes, it is crazy!

 Let’s keep things in perspective.  All that really matters in life is to “…fear God and keep his commandments!”  That conclusion was drawn many centuries ago and it is still true today. 

I hope your team wins, but more importantly…I HOPE YOU WIN

Four Months And Counting...

   In military vernacular, I am a "short timer" for now.   In less than four months I will be "officially" retired!  The end is near, but it has not arrived yet!  Retirement is a tad scary since I have been in full time ministry for fifty years, but it is, also, exciting because I have been in full time ministry for fifty years!
   My fears are real, but not deal breakers!  For example, what will it be like knowing that I do not have to prepare two sermons and a Bible class each week?  This has been my schedule for over 2,500 weeks with very few exceptions.  That represents a lot of hours of personal study, sermon preparation, and in depth prayers.  There have been many sleepless Saturday nights wondering if I was properly prepared for Sunday's tasks.  All of the above makes me wonder what it is going to be like that first Sunday sitting listening to someone else preach and teach.  I do not want to be a critic, but will it be hard not to be?  I do not know, but I sure hope not!
   There is a fear that I will put myself on a shelf and gather dust in the years to come.  I know I am still vibrant and able to communicate clearly, but will there be anyone who will listen or who will even care?  I do not know, but I sure hope so! 
  What I will do each day is a fear that concerns me, but mostly concerns my sweet wife.  I cannot follow her around all day asking, "What can I do now?"  Then there are the financial fears that face every retired person who gives up a lucrative salary for a fixed income.  Is there going to be expenses that I have not considered?  Will the "nest egg" and a monthly check sufficiently meet our needs?  What about those unexpected emergencies?
   The fears are real...very real, but the dreams are the motivation!  Serving God on a daily basis because you want to, not because it is a part of a job description.  Taking a warm meal to a man living under a bridge because you can and not because it is a part of an organized ministry.  Offering a word of encouragement to that person who has given up on themselves and life because they respect your wisdom in such matters.  Visiting other churches that you have always wanted to visit but you could not do so because you were always busy on Sundays.  Deciding on a Saturday afternoon to go away for the weekend without having to seek permission to be away for a few hours. 
   Oh, yes, the dreams are real, exciting, and eagerly awaited!  Only when the fears outweigh the dreams is there really a problem, so I accentuate the positives and count the days until retirement!

Does It REALLY Matter What Road We Take?

   I am currently planning a trip to Melbourne, FL and trying to decide where we will stop to spend the night, eat a meal or just sightsee a little.  There are dozens of ways to get from Williamsburg, VA to Melbourne, FL.  Each of them have their own unique characteristics making them appealing on some level. 
   It may be that we could follow route #17 and pretty much follow the coastline and visit many small communities and appreciate their individual beauty.  I like doing this and, like a great friend once said, "There's no better way to get to know a community in a hurry than to eat a meal at one of the local restaurants, especially one where many "locals" eat!" 
   If we were in a hurry, we would get on I-95 and "...put the pedal to the metal..." and head south!  This without doubt is the shortest and quickest way to get to the above destination.  The problem with driving interstates all day is that one gets a big bored and can easily become weary and eventually careless.  This is not good at 70 miles per hour, but interstate driving is efficient!
   One could combine the above two routes and make it a rather interesting trip and still end up in the same place...Melbourne, FL!
   The above illustration reminds me that a lot of folk look at our spiritual journey in much the same way!  Some have said, "We are all headed to the same place, so why does it matter how we get there!"  If we are trying to get to a warmer climate and out of the cold of the Winter in the north, that is problem correct, but that does not apply to our spiritual journey.
   Yes, there is only one destination that we all desire to reach...Heaven!  We have dreamed about Heaven!  Read about Heaven!  And, intensely desire to go to Heaven!  The difference with this journey is that there is only ONE road to follow!  That is right...just one!  It is said in JOHN 14:6, "I am the way, I am the truth, and I am the life.  No man comes to the Father, but by me."  There you have it...singular!  One road and the road is Jesus Christ!  Following the steps of Jesus will take you to where he is...Heaven!  It is acceptable to choose whichever route you want when going to Florida, but when going to Heaven there is only one...Jesus Christ!
   I am ready to get this trip started, how about you? 

You Play Until The Final Whistle...

   I sat with millions of others last night watching the 48th annual "Super Bowl" and I did so with startling amazement!  I really did not care who won the game, but I did hope to see a great display of talent and sportsmanship from two great teams.  Of course, the real reason I wanted to see this game was because of the Denver Bronco's quarterback, Peyton Manning.  Having watched him for years play some of the most outstanding games any quarterback ever played, I just knew that last night it was going to be another magnificent performance.  I was not ready for what happened!
   The more I watched the game and pass after pass soared over receivers' outstretched arms or bounced on the turf right in front of them, the more I realized that this was not "Peyton Manning's Night!"  I am taking nothing away from an outstanding performance by the Seahawks defense because they played incredibly well...well enough to win and win BIG!  After sixty minutes of interceptions and fumbles there was no doubt about the outcome!
   Now that I have had twenty-four hours to think about it the more I realize that life is a lot like that game!  I have thrown my interceptions and have dropped the ball many times.  Sometimes it is not my throw that was bad, but the way someone else denied me the chance to complete a task.  I have not always awkwardly fumbled the ball, but someone knocked the ball out of my hands.  That's life!  There are always those detractors trying to make us failures and often they succeed! 
   Notice though that Manning and the Broncos kept playing for the full sixty minutes!  The game was out of reach long before the final whistle was blown, but they were still trying to score until the referee blew his whistle and declared, "Game over!"  I, too, must keep playing the game of life until it is over...completely over!  Regardless of the momentary failures, I must keep moving!  The only way I can win is by still playing until the "final whistle!"  Then, only then, will I win by the grace of God!
   You see, I am not playing for the Lombardi trophy, but for the prize above all prizes...Heaven!  A prize that I have been promised if I am "...faithful even until death."  Will I play the "perfect" game? Never.  Can I play until the game is over?  Absolutely!  I hope we all win the "crown of life!"

In The Eyes Of An Expert...

   One of my favorite television shows (there are only a few!) is "American Pickers."  For those who may not know this show it is not about playing guitars or odd photographs of those protesting some unfair treatment.  "AP" is about Mike and Frank who travel all over the country going from one junkyard to another looking for rare and unusual items.  Some of the things they find are incredible, but most of all the people they meet are delightfully unique.
   This morning they uncovered an Ape, which was a Japanese motorcycle manufactured in the late 1940s and early 1950s.  You would have thought that Mike had found a 10-carat diamond!  He was so excited!  He bargained with the owner for a better price and finally paid $5,000 for the rusty, worn out piece of metal with three wheels.  Seeing what horrible shape it was in seemed like a waste of money until he discovered from an "expert" that it could be sold for $10,000 "as is."
   As I finished my cup of hot tea, my mind went to the number of things in life that are thought to be of little value until they are observed by an "expert."
   For example, there are those who look at some jobs as being meaningless and below the standards of acceptability.  You know, jobs where you have to work with your hands and from which one gets their clothes soiled.  The kind of job that only pays a little more than minimum wage without any type of benefits.  They seem so useless and worthless unless observed by an "expert," which in this case is someone providing the best he or she can for the family.  The job that makes putting food on the table, clothes on the children,  and heat from the furnace priorities. 
    What about the value of an education?  One spends sixteen years of life in a classroom learning to write an intelligent sentence or discovering how to balance a checkbook, but for what?  For a lifetime of discovery!  Being able to read about those people, places and events of the past so an appreciation can be gained for where we are today.  Discovering cures for maladies that have hampered humankind for decades.  To be able to unleash the power that God instilled in the mind to bring peace to a troubled world.  Yes, in the hands of the "expert" an education is the key that unlocks a beautiful future!
   Then there is that book that has been around for thousands of years and is used to swear in presidents, make weddings more spiritual, and keep small children entertained in Sunday School. Yes, the Bible is seen as pretty much worthless to many people, but to the eyes of the "expert," it is the answer to difficult questions concerning relationships.  The Word is the source of lasting peace that can come only through an understanding of its great truths.  The "expert" sees it as the revelation of God's will for his creation, therefore, making it possible to glorify the divine.  But, most of all, it is considered valuable because it serves as a road map on a journey through life that ends at the gates of God's heavenly city!  It may look worthless to some, but to the "expert" [in this case, the believer] it is eternally precious!
   Let me encourage you today to me a little more discerning when looking at those things that seem to some to be worthless, useless and empty because their value will only be known by an "expert!"


  

Helping Empower Loving People!

On several occasions I have tried to discipline myself to maintain "Wondering In Williamsburg" on a regular basis and each time I have failed!  So, with greater determination, I am going to make another effort at being more consistent. 
"Wondering In Williamsburg" began with the distinct purpose of encouraging others in their personal journey in life.  I knew that each of us has a different path to follow and that some had a more difficult time than others.  I also knew that we each needed encouragement to succeed!
Furthermore, I wanted to empower folk, not just encourage them!  Many of us are enablers, but few have the ability to empower!  Loving people need empowered whether they are parents, spouses, aged, young, rich, poor, healthy or sick...all loving people need empowerment!
For nearly fifty years I have spent time trying to empowering loving people to be all that God wants them to be and all that they want to be.  My desire was not to make the wealthy wealthier nor the popular more popular, but just to empower normal people to reach their potential.  We certainly need more doctors, lawyers, ministers, teachers and other professionals, but this world is crying out for "average people" to reach their greatest height!  Without some empowerment it will never happen for some folk!  Thus, "Wondering In Williamsburg" has been resurrected!
It is my aim to touch the lives of those who need help in surviving the plagues of life!  Disease, sorrow, abandonment, and confusion devour the determination of many people, but with a kind word of encouragement and some empowering guidelines, they can survive! 
I hope that the goals I have set for myself and for this blog can be reached and that God can use it to help empower loving people!

"If It Is Not Broken, Do Not Fix It!"

Have you ever heard the expression, “If it is not broken, do not fix it?” I know you have and we all understand what that means, right? Simply put, if something is working well there is no need to tinker with it and risk the possibility of messing it up! Years ago, Linda and I purchased our first colored television from an individual. It was an older model, but it had a good picture and great sound, so we enjoyed it. At some point, I decided that I could improve the picture quality by “fine tuning” the horizontal, vertical, color contrast and some other items. When I finished “fixing it,” the picture was hardly recognizable. We would have been much better off, if I had never tried to fix something that was not broken.

A lot of things are like that. Sometimes a person hears Dr. Phil make some claim that a little adjusting of a relationship will make it much richer. A tweak here and a nip there is supposed to make a good marriage great! Remember the theme of this article? Messing with a good marriage to make it better sometimes has catastrophic affects. There is nothing wrong with trying to improve a relationship, but it is often best left alone if it is working for those involved.

I have found the same thing is true with a church! If a church is at peace, happy and loving on each other, why mess with it? If that same church is reaching out to the lost in the community with reasonably good success, why risk ruining that ministry? The list could go on, but you get the idea, right? “If it is not broken, do not fix it!” When we start tinkering with the church, we can find ourselves much worse in the end than we were in the beginning! Then, the question can be asked, “how’s that working for you?”

Many peaceful, growing, and loving churches have become frustrated, cold, and lifeless because someone thought they knew something about “church growth” when the truth is that the church belongs to Jesus and He said, “I will build my church!”