Whatever Happened to Mr. Misty?

Ephesians 5:15 So be careful how you live. Don’t live like fools, but like those who are wise. 16 Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. 17 Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. NLT

I can remember as a boy, the dog days of summer. A trip to Dairy Queen by bike, and a grape Mr. Misty. You know, when days seemed really long, and you had all kinds of time to do whatever you wanted to do.

What happened? Everything seems to be rushing by and we hardly have any time at all. The clock still has 24 hour days, and 60 minutes per hour, 60 seconds per minute, that is all the same. It must be us. It is me, I am the one in a hurry.

I believe the Bible teaches us to slowwwww.....downnnn! Paul shared with the Ephesians that we should redeem the time we have today, to make the most of it.

One way I believe the Lord wants us to redeem our time, is to make Him the topic of as many converstions as we can each day. In order to do that we must pray for boldness, and step through the door of opportunity when God opens it.

Remember the sound of the straw when you hit the bottom of your Mr. Misty, the irritating noise, and that sense of disappointment that is almost empty and that the joy is over.

Let me remind you that we still have plenty of summer left to redeem the time. Let's begin today, to slow down a little more than yesterday, and enjoy the work of Christ in our lives, and in the lives of those around us.

I wonder if DQ has a 24 hour drive thru?

Looking for Jesus

We are in the midst of Vacation Bible School and each year I stand amazed as the kids flood through the doors with great anticipation. The decorations are colorful, the teachers prepared and working hard, the music upbeat and catchy. The crafts are fun and the snacks are looked forward to each night. The missionaries come to life as we see what God is doing all over the world. This is the place to be this week.

One of the exciting things for me as a pastor is to see 92 of our folks On Mission together at the same time serving the Lord by serving the kids. VBS is about the kids meeting Jesus.

I stuck my head in a classroom last night and a little girl said, "Hi Jesus". What a humbling thought. For someone to think that your name is Jesus. Well, I certainly realize I am not, but oh, that my life would glorify the Lord so that people see Jesus in me.

It All Comes Back To Jesus

"God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent His One and Only Son into the world so that we might live through Him." 1 John 4:9 H CSB

Have you ever thrown a boomerang? Years ago I saw a guy at a kiosk in the mall around Christmas time. I was amazed. He was throwing these paper airplanes toward the ceiling, and they were circling and automatically flying back to him, much like a boomerang.

I had to have it, so I bought one, and soon in my frustration, realized that the success of the return must have something to do with the one who was releasing it.

That picture is a good reminder as we prepare for"Boomerang Express", this years V.B.S. which begins in just over a week.

If we are not careful, as we serve on mission in this great week of learning about Jesus, as a worker, we can feel like a frustrated paper airplane thrower, wondering why that warm feeling doesn't return the way it used to when I worked in V.B.S.

So I pray and want to encourage all of our workers. Let's allow the Lord to release us for His glory as we serve. When He releases us to serve for Him, the joy, excitement, and enthusiasm will return. I pray the focus is on Him.

How do we know that? Because it "all comes back to Jesus."

That is the way life is. We go many different directions in life, but ultimately it will all come back to Jesus. We will all bow our knee to Christ, either as Lord or as judge.
Romans 14:11 (KJV) For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.

Talk to the Lord today, He knows your heart already!


See You Sunday.

I just call him Dad

Proverbs 23:24 (The Message)
Listen with respect to the father who raised you, and when your mother grows old, don't neglect her. Buy truth—don't sell it for love or money; buy wisdom, buy education, buy insight. Parents rejoice when their children turn out well; wise children become proud parents. So make your father happy! Make your mother proud!

This Sunday is Father's Day. An opportunity for us to let our earthly Fathers know how much we love them. Many have lost their father, and we pray for every one who will spend this weekend without their dad. It is also one of my favorite preaching days as we challenge the men in our congregation to live for Jesus , and to lead at home.

When I think of my dad, I could not have been given a better one. As a boy, I thought he could do anything. The older I get, I have realized, he can do about anything. He may be a little slower than he used to be, but his wisdom about life and how to do things is still a great teaching tool for me.

I can still picture him at one end of the driveway, and me at the other, passing baseball with our Regent ball gloves, before he headed off to McCall's on second shift. He probably didn't think to much about it then, but I will never forget that he always made time for us growing up, even in the little things. Now it is corn-hole, and I still can't beat him.

On Friday nights as we played high school basketball, he would slip in, taking a few unpaid hours off to see me play. I can still remember making eye contact with him as he walked underneath the basket heading for the bleachers. He probably didn't think I was looking for him, but I was. He was my dad.

It took years for me to realize that a lot of boys I grew up with, didn't have a dad like mine, and they would tell me, how fortunate I was. Now I get it. I cannot recall a time in my life, when he wasn't available to help if needed. He is always there.

Dad would never say it, but he has taught me a great deal about the love of God. The love the Father has for his children. You see our heavenly Father is interested in the little things in our lives also. He wants to spend time with us. He wants to encourage and help us, and He can always be counted on. In the tough times and the good times, He will be there.

The older I get, people tell me I look like dad. I consider that a great compliment.

I wonder if people ever say we look like Jesus, in the way we live our lives? Do others see Christ in our everyday life?

If you are blessed to still have an earthly dad alive, make sure you talk to him this week. Tell him what he means to you. Don't put it off. Make it a priority.

Thanks dad for everything, I love you. Happy Father's Day.

Rain

Psalm 72:6 (NKJV) He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, Like showers that water the earth.

This morning on the way to the office, I thanked the Lord for giving the ground a good drink. While it has been a beautiful spring, it seemed to be getting dry.

The Christian life is like that. There are times when we may begin to get a little dry, or our heart begins to harden. It seems that God is right on time when we need rain in our Spirit.

How do you detect a spiritual drought? How do you know if you need a fresh touch of God in your life?

I believe first of all, that we need to ask ourselves this honest question? Am I reading the Word of God, and what kind of prayer life do I have? Be honest. Remember, it is not how good you can fool someone else. What does God know in regards to how much time you are in the Bible, and the disciplines of your private prayer life?
Secondly, am I being faithful to worship the Lord? Am I where I need to be on Sunday? Has my church attendance slacked off? Does it just not seem as good as it once did? Am I following through on a commitment that I made as a leader?
Lastly, am I more critical than encouraging? A dry heart will become a bitter heart.

These are just a few signs that we may need rain, and the good news is that when I recognize I need it, and I ask God for it, He will send it, right on time.

Oh God, thank you for the rain outside. We ask you to send rain into our lives today, refresh our souls with Your wondrous love.

Until He comes.... we will go!

VACATION

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

I often think back to vacations our family took when I was growing up. With grandparents in Tennessee and South Carolina, most of our trips were to the southeastern part of the country. Some of the great memories include making the three hour drive, when in South Carolina, across the state to Myrtle Beach.

Vacations back then seemed like it was an opportunity to really relax and slow down. Maybe, it was because I was young and did not have as much responsibility. It is amazing how we made it with no cable, no laptop and no cell phone. "How's that for dating myself?" We never stayed at the biggest and fanciest places, but they were always clean and neat. The Breezeview comes to my mind as I type. Most of the time we stayed across the street for a better rate, knowing that the ocean was within sight. The hi light of the day would be to sit around the pool in the evening with the family to just laugh, and enjoy each others company. Who would ever think that to be content as a kid, a bottle of coke and some Lance peanuts was all that you would need.

When Renee and I were married, we had the privilege to go back and this time we went as parents. While some things certainly had changed (quite a bit), it was still a world of excitement and great enjoyment for the kids.

You know, it brings a parent great joy to see their kids happy, whether young or now grown up, and I imagine that our heavenly Father is pleased when he sees us living obediently and happy.

This summer, make sure you slow down to enjoy things, and if you go on vacation, make sure you don't forget the Lord, and when you get home, we'll see you in church.

You know, if the Lord tarries, one day I may go back to Myrtle Beach.... as a Papaw!

May the Lord keep you clean and close.........

Cool Water

Malachi 3:16 those who feared the Lord spoke to one another,And the Lord listened and heard them; a book of remembrance was written before Him
For those who fear the Lord And who meditate on His name.

Well, the official kick off to summer is here. Hope you were able to enjoy the weekend and the great weather we had for Memorial Day. I can remember when everyone went swimming for the first time on Memorial Day, but it seems as if the water has been too cold, ever since I hit 40, (years ago.) One of the pools we had a pass to growing up was at the Ramada Inn on Little York Rd. Monday we stood at the grave of my Great Uncle Wallace, he was the one who worked at the Ramada, and got us a pool pass.

Like many of you we went to cemeteries to pay our respect to our loved ones who have passed away. It's hard to believe that Renee's dad has been in heaven for twenty five years.

I was amazed at how many flowers were placed and how many flags were flying in the cemeteries we visited and drove by. It was as if every grave had something on it. A gentle reminder that every life counts and matters. Even the graves that were left undecorated, or the marker that perhaps no one even looked at, God hasn't lost track of anyone. Why? Because people matter to God. You matter to God!

Worship on Sunday was a beautiful tribute to our troops and veterans. How proud we all were of our newest Marine as she presented the colors. What an awesome sight as our veterans stood all over the congregation reflecting sacrifice from different conflicts and time periods.

So what was the best part of Memorial Day weekend? A regular attender who walked down the aisle during the invitation and simply said, "I am ready to ask Jesus Christ into my heart to be my Lord and Savior."

After being able to spend time with the family, it just doesn't get much better than that.

Keep up the good work for the Lord. Tell somebody about Jesus! Pastor Greg