Thoughts on ...

The Hat

2011-08-24T22:48:00.004-04:00

In the beginning, we hated the hat.
Maybe not we, maybe just me.
It seemed to represent something terrible.
Covering up what she wanted to hide.

After a while, we got used to the hat.
It wasn't as bad as we thought.
In fact, it seemed to be of comfort in the hot summer heat.
I thought it was cute,
But she never went far from home wearing only the hat.

Now, I love the hat!
Maybe she does, she now has two.
I believe it no longer shows our fear.
It is now her badge of courage.

For me, it no longer covers up the fears I don't want to see.
Now it's just a hat, on top of the one I love.
...sometimes I wish I were that hat!

---------------------------------------------

For Tina West (my sweet wife), Beverly Walls, Deanna Stamey, Kim Stout, Kim Sisk, Teressa Scott
... And all the other brave ladies who fight cancer with the bravery of the bravest warrior.

This is your mission...

2011-03-28T14:48:00.013-04:00

The following is the text of a sermon I prepared for Baptist Men's day at First Baptist Church of Cherryville. Enjoy...
------------------------------------

Today is Baptist men’s day and the pastor asked me to speak about our role missions. But, I need to lead up to it with a little back ground. First, what does the word mean? The way we use it actually comes from its usage by the Jesuits back in the 1500’s describing their action of sending of members abroad. Or simply, to be sent. But I would say that you don’t have to go abroad to be on a mission for God. However, our ultimate goal is to participate in God’s mission. If you are not actively participating in God’s work, then you are not living your life in step with God. Think back to when you got saved. For me, it was in 1983 at a Bill Glass crusade. I think all of us can remember being so on fire for Jesus at that point. You would’ve went anywhere for Jesus. But the world has ways of dulling our spirituality and then questioning our commitment. Maybe all we need is a little refresher. So, let’s look at what Jesus says about how we should be living our lives.

First in Matthew 22:36-40;

36 “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” 37 Jesus replied, “‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’t 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’t 40 The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”

These commandments that Jesus points to are the basis of what we are to be about. Loving God and loving each other. As he stated in verse 40, this is the basis for everything else given to us from God in the form of laws, prophecy, etc. We have many programs right here at First Baptist of Cherryville, that you can participate in, that allow you to fulfill these commands. We have the Bereavement team, the Prayer Quilt group, various groups that visit Nursing homes and shut-ins, RAs, GAs and many more. But if you listen closely to what these activities represent, you’ll notice that they tend only focus on loving and caring for people already a part of the church. Now, I think we can all agree that Jesus’ entire life was focused on the lost on not the found. Fortunately, we have other groups right here at First Baptist of Cherryville based on reaching the lost too. There are a number of folks dedicated to the Outdoor Blessings, God’s Planned Harvest, Upwards, the FEET ministry and various annual mission trips. Each of these ministries are here to provide you and I with ways to interact with the lost. This is great, but are you involved?! Now some of you may also be thinking that maybe you can participate in these and never even think about going off to foreign lands like Africa, China, or even Philadelphia. Thinking in this way means that we may be short sighted on Jesus’ other command known as the Great Commission. We know what Jesus also gave us the following command before he left us. In Matthew 28:18-20 it says,

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

To summarize, bring all people to their salvation through Jesus and then teach them to Love as he described in the two commandments earlier. So, here we have it… the command is to go. As we said earlier, missions literally means to be sent. We cannot sit here in Cherryville and be confident that on judgment day we can stand in front of God with confidence in our actions or inactions. So, how are we called fulfill this? Let’s take a slight detour first. This is the typical male solution to being sent some place.

1. Define the destination and length of stay

2. Find a place to stay while there

3. Break out the map and plan the route, looking for quickest and easiest.

4. Identify stopping points if necessary (this means we have to know if women and children going too?)

5. Calculate mileage and time

6. Check out the equipment

7. Identify a start time

8. Set a goal end time

9. Go… and drive like Dale Earnhardt to beat that time!

We do the same on a mission trip, with a few additional tasks.

10. Watch David’s DVD

11. Identify the work

12. Raise money

13. Gather tools and materials

14. Develop a work plan

15. Make sure Stan Bumgarner and Joe Alexander are available to go J

16. Execute the plan

Oh and I forgot one….

17. Show pictures of what really happened (especially the bloopers)

So, what’s wrong with that? It sounds like men can accomplish all kinds of Godly missions using this template. Men are naturally task driven, problem solvers… so why aren’t we out solving the problem of the world and bringing them to Jesus? Maybe we just don’t know where to go or what to do. More likely, we lose our focus and try to solve the wrong problems. It is my opinion that our biggest problem is our perspective on the work that needs to be done. As Henry Blackaby said in his Experiencing God training; we always try to be obedient by asking, what is God’s will for my life? However, that question is so self-centered. The real question we should ask is; what is God’s will? We need to find out where God is and try to understand His plan!!! Then we need to go and get involved in that. Find out where God is moving and go there. So many of us are trying to limit God’s will to:

1. where you are already

2. what you are good at doing

3. if you are comfortable with the task at hand

4. if you have time to get involved

This is completely the wrong approach! Once again I’ll say; these thoughts are self-centered. We need to focus on being one with God so we’ll be where he wants us when he wants us there. We should not limit God to the abilities you know you have. If He has work for you to do, he will provide the tools for you to use. So, when we feel that we are not equipped for the task. All we have to remember is that a spiritual gift is more than a mere talent. Once again, as Henry Blackaby said; a spiritual gift is a super-natural empowering to accomplish the assignments that God gives you. And we all have a gift and are called to use them to serve others. It is written in (1 Peter 4:10) 10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.

Are we scared to fail? Once again, if you are in God’s will, the outcome will be as God planned. And it will be measured by his standard, not ours. We have nothing to fear, as it is written in (2 Timothy 1:7-8) 7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. 8 So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord.

So, let’s look at one of the most successful groups of people that have a real heart for loving others and sharing God’s plan. And they have a presence right here in our church. The women! Think about all the things in our community that are based on love and serving in our church and community. You’ll notice that many of these things are typically being lead and performed by women. From caring for our children and elderly, to doing all forms bible studies, outreach, and participating in every church sponsored mission project. In general, they have a real knack for helping others. That is why the WMU is celebrating 125 years of service.

So to give equal perspective, here is a woman’s approach to a mission trip (given to me by a woman!)

1. Find out where you are going

2. Arrange for sitters for any kids or pets

3. Watch the David’s DVD to find out what to wear

4. Go shopping for clothes to wear

5. Get your hair cut

6. Ensure you have your hair, beauty and other supplies

7. Find out who is in charge of snacks

8. Find out if there is a Wal-Mart near by

9. Get movies, music and blankets for the bus ride

10. Pray for stopping and shopping along the way

11. *** Hope to find someone there that will touch their heart ***

Notice the last one, the real mission is touching of the heart. It is very natural for women to follow those two commandments Jesus pointed to; love God and love others.

However, shouldn’t the men of the church be the examples here? Shouldn’t we lead the charge? Didn’t God call us to be the head of the church and our families? Society wants to empower women and degrade men. I’m in no way saying this to take away from what the women do. And I encourage them to continue with all that they do. But, the real question is, what is our problem? While women don’t want men to act like the master, leaving them as mere servants. They do want us to lead the way!

Looking back out our mission projects again; maybe sometimes it isn’t the building that needs fixing. Have you ever considered that hammers, wrenches, shovels and paint brushes may not be the only tools God wants us to use on His mission trips? Have you ever considered that a completed room or landscaped yard may not be the ultimate outcome desired? We have to remind ourselves, God sends us on His missions and not ours! We need be sure that when we arrive, we know that God’s plan is being accomplished. There is a common saying (used on many mission trips) that goes like this. Don’t just stand there, do something! But maybe God is saying to us, don’t just do something, stand there! For just a moment, let’s all be very quiet and listen for God. When you finally focus so you can hear Him, it will be so loud you won’t hear anything but Him!

Finally, being a Christian is much more than the walk down the aisle! Those are the first steps in which you finally walked with God. And as we’ve just heard, the journey doesn’t stop down here at the altar at First Baptist. Some of you will be called to go out into this community. Some will be called to go out into this country. And some may even be called to go out around the world. But we are all called listen and then to go teach people to Love GOD and Love each other!

As Christ loved the church.

2011-03-07T23:54:00.002-05:00

And Christ wants me to love my wife in the way he loved the church. Oh God, you know I do! Our hope endures!

Thanksgiving is about gving...

2010-11-14T18:35:00.004-05:00

As we enter the season of Thanksgiving. We should consider a new meaning behind Thanksgiving. The Bible teaches that to be thankful to God we must give a sacrifice. Cain and Abel were called to provide such a thankful sacrifice. Today, we are called to sacrifice in a different way. Hebrews 13:15-16 says, "15 Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that openly profess his name. 16 And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." If we do this, we are also obeying what Jesus referred to as the greatest commandment, to love one another.

Nothing left but icing on top.

2010-04-15T23:33:00.003-04:00

So I was thinking... our country was built on the ingenuity of others. And at its root, that comes from people trying to accomplish a few things. First, get the job done faster. Two, get more work done in that time. And finally, (and most critical) actually get the job done while doing less work than you used to. Sounds reasonable?!?! But now I believe our country is making a turn into a new era. So much of the manual labor is either outsourced to other countries or automated by machines that we no longer have people here with a strong desire to define new and better ways to do things. Isn't it sad that the major ingenuity for cars are built in phones, awesome radios and automatic windows. The ingenuity now is driven more by our impatience than our exhaustion from work (though I always hated rolling up a window in an old car.) Now we believe that the American dream is that everyone deserves an equal share of everything. No longer are we satisfied with the equality only being that everyone has the same opportunity to try. Our forefathers labored for years to build this cake world we live in, and all we want to do is keep piling on the icing. Too much icing will make you sick!

Communication is key

2010-02-08T21:57:00.003-05:00

God knew the hearts of men from the beginning and Jesus reminded us about our inability to properly communicate with Him. Let's review first Matthew 13, starting at verse 13 and continuing through 17:

This is why I speak to them in parables:
Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah:
'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.'
But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous men longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.

You know, sometimes we just don’t communicate very well. The reasons vary, sometimes because of real obstacles, sometimes because we put up barriers and many times just because we’re not consistently working at it. And how many more times do we fail at communicating with God? Now, have you ever considered the reasons for your life here on earth? I think we all have tasks that God has laid out for us to accomplish so we can fulfill His will. But I also believe that life here on Earth is to train us in His ways. Marriage, raising children, friendships, work and many other aspects of life are God’s way of providing us hands on experience on how to communicate with Him. How many times have you lived through one of life’s surprises only to look back and not only be able to say you learned from it, but to also be thankful for it to have happened? Not to say that you enjoyed it, but that you can now appreciate the experience and use it in future life experiences. God has also provided us many stories in the scriptures that are perfect examples on how communication with him should work and not work. So, here are my thoughts on communicating with God and with each other… One note, I don’t speak from the perspective of success, but from the perspective of failures and lessons learned.

The first lesson we need to look at, communication goes both ways. Thus, it requires both speaking and listening. All of us want to share our point of view, but rarely do we want to truly listen. And I’m not referring to talking and hearing. I mean a type of communication that is deep, personal and real. Husbands and fathers (MEN) are notorious for not being willing to listen. We are the butt of many jokes and stereotypes because of this. We should and must do a better job of speaking and listening. Wives and mothers (WOMEN) are also stereotyped as being ones to do a lot of talking without truly communicating. But I would ask the husbands, wives and children (which we all are to someone); how well do you listen when your spouse, father or mother truly speaks to you? And how well do you share your real and heartfelt emotions. Do you even allow real communication to happen? You know Jesus’ disciples had a hard time listening to what Jesus preached too. And they were with him day and night. The essence of many of his teachings can be defined by love and serving others. And yet, we see in Mark 9:33-35 that even they continued to miss the point and focus on themselves. It reads:

They came to Capernaum. When he was in the house, he asked them, "What were you arguing about on the road?" But they kept quiet because on the way they had argued about who was the greatest. Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said, "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and the servant of all."

Even Adam, who walked with God daily, had only one rule to remember so he could stay with God in the garden. But, he failed to listen and understand. So, you may say, “We don’t have God or Jesus with us like they did.” Or do we? God speaks to us in many ways, if we will just listen. The most obvious is via the scriptures. Daily bible reading is important. I’ve learned that it must be more than a few verses here and there. You need to have a plan and a commitment to do this. I recently finished reading the entire Bible in just under 13 months. And I will tell you, it took a personal drive and partners to push me too. With my best reading partner also being my life partner. God also uses others to speak to us. It is important that we are faithful in Sunday School and Worship attendance. And we should always come expecting to hear from God and not a man or woman. Now to speak to God requires prayer. It sounds easy enough and most of us find we are good at prayer when our world comes crashing down around us with medical issues, death, job loss, and any number of other problems. But we easily forget God during the good times or even to praise him when we are blessed with a rescue from the troubles.

That leads me to the second lesson; we must communicate during the good and the bad times. Most of us are more likely to share during the good times and withdrawal during the bad times. Our society trains us to be that way. There are whole industries in the US based on celebrating the good things in life. Ponder some of these: Weddings, baby births, job promotions, graduations, birthdays, etc. And most of us love to share in our success and excitement. But, it is just as important to communicate during the not so good times (sadness, anger, troubles). Your spouse, parents or best friend can be a great asset in hard times. Even more so, be willing to be that spouse, parent or friend that can handle listening and discussing the good and the bad. People (especially your kids) need to know that they can safely tell you anything and you will still love them. Listening in love means caring but does not mean actions without consequences. If you look at the history of the Israelites, they continually cried out to God for salvation from bondage, God saved/freed them and they turned away and ended up back in bondage. I myself have tried very hard this past year to not be like this. As I hinted at earlier, last year, my wife’s cancer came back. We were both devastated and fearful of what the future seemed to hold. And OUR prayer life blossomed like a field of flowers in the spring. It even led us to the prayer and healing service our church held. I would even ask strangers to pray for us. I would dare to say that thousands of people around the world saw my cries for prayer and the prayed. And then God allowed the good news to flow in. I have struggled to achieve even a resemblance of the prayer life I had before. I try to stay committed to praying daily and deeply, but it is hard. I have no answer as to why…it just is. I’m just like the Israelites. One thing that is different this time is that I have committed to telling what God has done for us when someone asks how she is doing.

That leads me to the final lesson, communication must be constant! Marriages fail when the partners quit communicating. Children lose direction and make bad choices when parents stop communicating with them. Companies fail without good communication amongst employees. Now sometimes communication stops because of real problems out of our control. But many times we stop because everything is just going well and then we get distracted with other things. I guess we think we don’t need to express the thankfulness and love we have for each other and God when things are good. Maybe they just know. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-22:

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.

So how do we learn to communicate with God properly and constantly? I believe God’s perfect plan includes having us learn to and practice that loving communication with each other. Share and listen to the good and the bad at all times. As I mentioned earlier, Jesus continually spoke of loving and serving each other. This was the one true way to love and serve the Father. But how can we love and serve each other without communicating? Men, women and children want to hear us express our love and our pains. Women, men do want to hear too. Just remember, men are fixers! So tell us how we can help or clarify that we should not try to fix anything. Parents, discipline should never cause a break down in communication. Your kids need to know that throughout life, they can come to you about anything without judgment. Kids, your parents do want to know about the good and the bad. Be patient with us, we may be more experienced, but we are still learning just like you!!! If we truly communicate with each other, I believe we are doing it with God too. As Jesus said in Matthew 25:40,

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'

What a wonderful and circular plan God has. To word this in another context, when we learn to communicate with each other, we are also learning to communicate with God. And when we learn to communicate with Him, we learn to communicate even better with others.

So, be on a mission to be the one who speaks and listens to your spouse, kids, friends and even strangers. Plan to do it in good times and bad and at all times. For if we cannot do it for each other, we surely cannot do it with God!

Corcovado

2010-01-26T22:39:00.002-05:00

Corcovado
Originally uploaded by chetwest

Cool huh? A friend brought this back from Brazil so that everyone in the office could have one. It is a small version of the really big statue in Corcovado. Read more here: Christ-Redeemer: CORCOVADO

Finished, so now what?

2010-01-26T22:13:00.002-05:00

Well, I am proud to say that both Tina and I finished reading the entire bible last week! We used a 12 mos plan published by ATS and provided by our church. And it only took us 13 mos to do it! Yeah, I know... we went over a bit. In my defense, we had a lot of "stuff" happen this year. I can't say I remember it all. Even when I look back, much of it still seems unread. And I was amazed at how much of the bible I had really never read or seen before. I had always thought I had either read, heard sermons or lessons on the majority of the bible. And while there are lots of notes and underlines in my bible...I wasn't even close to right on that one.

I'm going to try something different this year. My pastor is doing a slow read over the next 3 years and making notes and comments. I asked to follow along so I could send him questions to ponder about his current reading. I had lots of questions last time, but for fear of falling behind...I didn't stop to ask them. I also have some training books I need to finish on top of Sunday School. But I may go back to what I was doing before. It kept me focused. And it kept God's word in front of me and in my heart daily. And that is the only way we got through this past year. I encourage you to find a plan that works for you. And don't let time waste. God has a word for you today, you just have to go read it.

Phone Calls and Letters

2009-12-04T00:34:00.002-05:00

I was sitting in my hotel room tonight (while traveling for business) and the most wonderful thing happened. My wife called me. Usually when I travel, I call home most every night and just hope I called before everyone had gone to bed. This time was different, she called me. Nothing urgent or anything like that. But have you ever heard a smile? I did, and it warmed my heart. We didn't even really talk about anything real or for very long, but it was one of the better phone calls I've ever had. My wife is the same way about letters and cards. She enjoys a phone call, email or Facebook post...but she loves a hand written letter or card. That takes effort and shows love. And it is the same reason I enjoyed her call tonight. It took effort and showed love. Have you called or written a loved one recently? And just as important, have you appreciated a recent call or letter that you received? Phililppians 1:3 I thank God every time I remember you.

Fear and Dramatic outcomes

2009-10-16T17:38:00.002-04:00

If you follow my blog you'll probably note that I post things in spurts then nothing for a while. Sorry about that one. Secondly, you'll also know that my wife and I have been dealing with a kind of fear that no one wants to deal with. My wife's breast cancer unexpectantly returned after almost 5 years. And it's a "Distant Recurrence" which means it is only treatable but not curable. This leads to all kinds of fear for both of us, the same yet different. And when you have these kinds of fear, all you can do is lean on each other and GOD!

Here are the steps we took. (And it is a WE thing) We trusted in a great doctor to lead us down the correct medical path. We asked our family, friends and community to pray. I even went out to web sites and such and asked for prayer from complete strangers. Everyone prayed. Our church even held a special prayer service. Not just for us, but for anyone in the church that needed a special healing (physical, mental, spiritual, etc.) It was awesome. There is so much hurt out there, and so much more God showed up that day...

Then the good news came. My wife went back for her monthly check this week. A new PET Scan, new blood work, etc. She got the works (must have had a coupon). When they review the results, the P.A. that she was seeing looked over her chart and immediately went for the doctor. "You've got to come see this!" Dr. Orloski looked at the previous scans and charts and then the most recent. His comment, "Dramatic Improvement!" and then he actually did a little dance from excitement. The cancer that showed up on most of her skeletal system was down to two places. The cancer on her liver was reduced. The tumor cell counts dropped from over 140 to mid 30's. We are all on a high right now...and while I give the doctors and medicine much credit, I give GOD all the glory. I honestly believe it was the recent prayer service.

Now chew on that and tell me in doesn't taste good!!!

Getting skunked

2009-08-24T22:24:00.005-04:00

At night, our dog Lucy usually sleeps quietly on the porch. The only things that stir her are thunderstorms and some other critter in the yard. Just so you understand, my dog is a small white Pekingese. If you know the breed, then you know they are braver than their size allows...especially if you are with them. So, sometime after midnight, she was actually in the front yard barking like crazy. My wife and I turned on the outside lights and saw that she had something cornered in the bushes. And while she barked ferociously, she did keep her distance from whatever it was that was in the bushes. And though we could not see it, our guess was that it was a skunk. You see, there are no cats in our neighborhood and the only thing we've seen around that size was a skunk. So, our first instinct was to open the door and call Lucy to come in. Remember what I said earlier about her bravery? Well, our intentions had the wrong impact on her. Now she was became really brave and went into attack mode. And that is when it happened...she got skunked. Right in the face. Oh yes, it was awful...but we're all better now.

It did get me to thinking though. Sometimes in life we allow ourselves to get into situations we shouldn't be in. At times it's just by chance, curiosity or sometimes just a bad choice. And while we see the danger in front of us, we usually just hope nothing happens. We are daily tempted to make bad choices. And, it may be easy to walk away on our on (or it may not). But how much harder it is to walk away in front of our "friends". Do your friends give you a bravery that you normally do not have? Do they entice you to make a bad decision? When was the last time you got skunked? I believe completely that God's promise to not tempt us beyond our ability to resist is true. He always gives us an escape. However, those around us can sometimes push or entice us to be brave just like my dog Lucy. Fortunately, we are smarter than dogs....aren't we?

...our hope endures!

Happy 4th

2009-07-03T23:16:00.003-04:00

It's funny (to me), I don't really remember lots of hoopla for the 4th of July when I was young. To me, it was a time when we went to Granny and Peepaw's house for the weekend in the summer, made some homemade ice cream, the cousins all came over and then we went to watch fireworks. We would all sit around under the big tree in the back yard. Sometimes we all climbed up in the tree. Remember those chairs we had back then? Not like the ones today that you have to throw away if they break. They were a metal/aluminum frame that folded up. And they came with those woven strips of multi-colored plastic ribbon material. If it broke, you just bought a roll and re-did the chair. And the home made ice cream makers were different then too. For one thing, I remember the buckets being wooden. We had to all take turns cranking that handle. It made your arm burn inside. I never could turn the big one. Back then, I hated when the adults added some sort of fruit to perfectly good vanilla ice cream. Now, one of my favorites is home made peach. The forth also meant that it was almost time to pick / string beans and other things us kids hated to do. Also, the june bugs were buzzing, cady-dids were starting to sing and we all wished we new one of those lucky families with a pool (I still do!) Good times. I still enjoy this time a year, but its a little more work being the adult / parent. But still fun. At least I have an electric ice cream maker.

It takes a community...

2009-06-03T23:03:00.004-04:00

I am sure you have heard the old saying that it takes a community to raise a child. Well, I say it goes beyond that. My family, like yours too maybe, has faced many struggles and fears. From health issues to job fears and more. But we are fortunate to have a real "Community" to lean on. Sometimes its hard for people to become a real part of their community. But when you do, the rewards are wonderful. Your community can be much more than the people who live around you too. It can include friends, family, co-workers and more. As a former pastor of mine once advised during one of our struggles... "Don't refuse help from others and steal their blessing." And I have since expanded my understanding of this to include this thought. Seeing others praying, caring and helping you is 100 times the blessing of the actual acts they perform. It provides a comfort to the soul. And if you ever wonder if the simple kind word, hug, prayer or even food really makes a difference... I'm here to tell you that it does. And so much more than you think. In our most recent struggle, I have seen people that we do not even really know show acts of love and kindness just because they have heard from someone that we were in the midst of a struggle. For instance, we found out about my wife's cancer return a few days before I had some oral surgery. One of the office help noticed that I was a little more distraught than oral surgery should warrant. She asked and I shared. Now, even months later, when I have returned for a follow-up...she asks again how my wife is doing and tells me that she has been praying. My wife and I have both had so many examples of people we either barely knew or did not know give such comfort to us. And I cannot even begin to properly explain what those closest to us have blessed us with, or thank them. As I said before, it takes a community! I'm sure glad I am a part of one.

Love thy neighbor as thyself. Matthew 19:19 / Leviticus 19:18

Our Hope Endures

2009-05-04T23:50:00.002-04:00

If you've never heard this song...you should definitely take a listen. Click the title, it will take you to Natalie Grant's site. I feel like this song all the time now. Sometimes I cry out to God asking why?!?! It seems so unfair! "...this one has suffered her share." Why couldn't you give me the pain, the disease...I'm stuck with with the helpless feelings of worry and despair. "Sometimes the sky rains night after night, when will it clear?" I've cried many times, but never cried out in anger. I feel more like David did in his many Psalms. Just seeking to understand God's will in all this and hoping that His plans include a miracle for us. And since we know that He has a plan, Our Hope Endures! I know my crying is the outward expression of my soul groaning to God when I am overwhelmed with feelings and prayers. I love my wife Tina sooo much. She strengthens me in this time of weakness. "Walk a mile with a woman whose body is torn with illness, but she marches on!" No matter what, I will march on with her. Never staying behind or running ahead. Right there by her side! You want a to try out Love Dare? That is easy, compared to this. It almost seems trivial in comparison. Now I truly understand the real love my grandmother had for my grandfather. She walked beside him. She held his hand and led him. And she eventually joined him. I just hold to this. "We never walk alone, this is our hope. Our hope endures, the worst of conditions. It's more than our optimism! Let the earth quake ... Our hope is unchanged" Our walk will not be as two, but as three!

Good news ain't GREAT, but its much better than BAD!

2009-04-14T11:14:00.003-04:00

To my friends and family and those who just care to read. My wife and I have been through a traumatic few weeks. You see, she is a four year survivor of breast cancer. At her last annual checkup, her tumor markers had gone up. This is basically an indicator that there was an increase in cancer cells in her body someplace. This allowed them to order a PET Scan since her health insurance had not allowed any more annual scans because she was showing up as clear. But, that is a whole other story not worth talking about. So, after her PET Scan, it showed cancer cells on her Liver and Bones and the biopsy on her liver proved this to be a recurrence of her breast cancer in a new place. This is known as Distant Recurrence. I'll stop at this point to say that reading about such things, especially on the internet, can cause severe depression...I know!! You have to remember that some of the information is old and many of it tells worst case scenarios. I say this because my wife and I went through a couple of weeks of complete dread and worry. We had to tell family what we knew and our kids. Not fun! And then we had to try to keep on living. So, back to the story. Our return appointment to the oncologist for biopsy results and a treatment plan was next. We both hoped for the best but expected the worst. I, of course, selfishly wanted to hear that they had made a big mistake and there was nothing there. And while I did not get that news, the doctor said that this was treatable (not curable) and if she responds well to the treatments she can live a long life. The initial plan is hormone therapy and some other drugs. If required, we may move to some chemotherapy, but that is later, if ever. The doctor was very positive and gave my wife and I great hope. And I'll add that he is a straight forward doctor that does not hide the truth from his patients. Thanks Dr. Orlowski

So...that is the news. I look forward to the honey-do-lists now!!! I've prayed more and asked for more prayer this week than ever in my life. Both my wife and I feel the assurance that God is with us here. And we feel your prayers!!! I encourage you to seek out the Lord when you are in despair. God promised to send us a comforter. I know this too is somehow a part of God's great plans. I have seen more of God at work in the world these past weeks than ever in my life. Pray for us. And if you ask, I'll definately pray for you! The bible says, where two or more... I am going all out and calling on thousands, even millions! And I'll tell anyone what He has done for us so far!

Down with bankers! Burn them at the stake!

2009-03-14T15:18:00.004-04:00

Just to set the stage...I work for one of the big banks. One that has been in the news a lot lately. Now all this is just my opinion, but Americans as a whole are responsible for where we are. Lets all take a big breath and a few steps back to think about this whole thing rationally for a minute.

The founding fathers of our country envisioned a place where everyone had an equal opportunity to succeed because they were escaping from countries ruled by monarchs and royalty. Over time, we have evolved so that their definition of everyone now includes women, blacks, Hispanics, Asians, etc. It is natural that some people will get lucky in life and that others are just born with the ability to be great leaders, inventors, and entrepreneurs. Somewhere along the way, people in our nation began seeing our country as the haves and the have nots (just like our forefathers did in Europe). No, its not exactly royalty, but everyone knows those who have great wealth tend to also have great power in this country. And can thus, they can influence the laws of the land to be setup to their advantage. However, because of how our country was built...there are also those who started with humble beginnings that have a heart for those without. So, over time through the use of charities, taxes, etc. we have established ways to redistribute some wealth to those without it. All with the idea that all these people need is a chance to succeed. Yes, it all still sounds like a good plan with good intentions and still falls in line with things our forefathers would have wanted. However, some changes have occurred in all this.

First, somehow the core idea America of everyone having an equal opportunity to succeed changed to be that everyone has the right to succeed.Sounds similar, but its not the same. Think about this rationally. Does our freedom really mean that everyone has the right too a good job, own a house, retire? I say no.

Second, does our freedom truly mean that we as a people have the right to take from those who have more because we feel that everyone should have more? I'll admit, at first glance, it does sound like a good idea. But at what point do you and I go from being the ones who receive the distributions to the one who funds the distributions. I will say, that I do believe that our country should provide a way to take care of the orphans, the disabled, etc. But how many times have you seen someone on "disability" out playing basketball or someone with a handicap sticker that was obviously not a picture of what you and I envision as handicapped.

So, what does this have to do with the big banks and/or our economy? I would say that WE as Americans caused the problems. In our country's attempt to force society to be equal we forced the banks to lend to those they should not have. We forced the factories and businesses to pay more for wages than they should have. We force the insurance companies to pay for more they they should have. I'll admit, that what sent us over the edge was probably a small number of greedy people trying to find a way to the top of the money tree. However, the real core to the problems we are not even trying to fix. Do we really want our government to force lending to continue or to force the banks to eat the bad loans? Or worse, allow the government (e.g. you and I) to save people from their mistakes? I do not think the government should allow banks to fail to prove a point. To truly fix things. Everyone needs to take a pay cut. Everyone needs to realize that their house, car and 401k is not worth what they thought or hoped. Everyone needs to realize that success is hard and must be earned. Everyone needs to be willing to agree that help from the government may require something in return.

Frustrating isn't it?!?! And how hard it is to realize that we are ALL at fault in this.

No Limits!

2009-03-06T23:53:00.003-05:00

So...my daughter is mad at me. I have her cell phone set to not allow phone calls after 11pm during the week and 11:30pm on Friday and Saturday. It seems that isn't good enough. Mean 'ole me, I am NOT budging!!! She says, "It's not fair! You're selfish! You're mean! You embarrass me!" And I say (to myself) "Sticks and stones!" But isn't her desire to have unlimited everything (cell phone, Internet, money) just like our nation today! Isn't this the reason we're in the mess we are in. No one is willing to set limits and use good sense. As for me, there is a limit...and I set it in my house!

Wag your own dog!

2009-02-15T22:35:00.005-05:00

Have you ever watched a situation turn from something you knew into something else? I remember a movie a few years back called "Wag the dog". The premise being that political people used the news media with half truths and full on lies to sway the public to vote for or do the things they wanted. I wonder if that is partially going on today? I know the housing market is down, the financial system has issues due to greed and thousands of people have lost jobs. But are things as bad as the news implies? Are we perpetuating our on misery? Not to mention the swirl of dog wagging the various news outlets and politicians are throwing at us to get want they want. Just for fun one week night, watch MSNBC and Fox News. If possible, go back and forth. They talk about many of the same things completely differently. Imagine if the news channels just did a weeks worth of nothing but positive stories and editorials. I believe if we could get them to do this, the markets would see a positive turn. The same is true in your personal life. If things are hard for you or you been dealt a bad hand. Do what every good poker player does, bluff those around (and yourself). Wag your own dog! If you focus on the good and the positive, I believe things will turn around for you. Just turn the bad over to God, he can handle it much better than we can! Then go read Psalms 118:8

Too busy to care

2009-01-20T09:43:00.004-05:00

I'm just too busy! Really!? It sure seems like it. So many things I would like to do and I never seem to have time to do it all. Many times I don't have time to do any of it. Like writing in my blog. Maybe I'm not too busy. Maybe I'm lazy. Maybe I'm uninspired. Maybe its that time of year where I'm cold and don't care as much. I am sure glad my God isn't like me!

אני סומך על אלוהים

The Last Lecture

2008-11-11T19:59:00.007-05:00

Ever been inspired by someone you knew and loved? I love my grandfather (Pawpaw West) and my grandmother (Granny West). I say it in present tense even though they have both passed on to the next life. Love doesn't stop while we are apart. I also love my other set of grandparents (Mamaw and Pop Middleton)...and they are still with me. I love my wife, my parents, my kids, my sister, my in-laws, my friends...the list goes on. Many of these people have inspired me down to my soul and made me who I am. I attribute my desire to succeed to my father and my desire to be kind to others to my mother. My love for living life to my wife and kids. My love for gardening, church and family to my grandparents. I say all this as a intro to this blog...

I recently read a book and watched a video called The Last Lecture (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo) by Randy Pausch. The link is to the actual video of the lecture. In short, Randy was about to die, he knew it and he wanted to pass on something to his wife and kids in a way that also inspired others. I will not spoil it for you...but it did get me to thinking. What would my last lecture be like if I could do it? Would I have great stories about my life that others would want to hear and I would want to share. Could I say I accomplished all my life long dreams and goals? Would I know what those goals and dreams are? The questions here really dare each of us to ask, was my life successful?

I know that my grandparents (Granny and Pawpaw West) had very successful lives. No, there was no great wealth to pass on. No great business, schooling or awards. But to see how two people, living simple lives, could impact so many, is awe inspiring. I was at the funeral and I saw the people and I heard the comments and I was impacted by them. I could say the same for my other grandparents too (Mamaw and Pop Middleton)...and they continue to inspire.

There was no great command to succeed in this life in human standards. As a matter of fact, there is even an expectation that we will all fail on our own. All we can do is trust in God and help others to do the same. Has my life been successful? I would say yes...so far. Have I inspired others? I would like to think so. Have I met my life's goals? Almost every one I've come up with so far and was made even better by the ones I didn't achieve. Thanks Randy! Thanks Granny and Pawpaw. Thanks Dub. Thanks Murray. Your lives inspired me. You've set the bar high and I promise to keep it there.

How about you, are you living the right life and aiming for the goal??????

Fire Proof: Marriage and Money Matters

2008-10-06T12:09:00.005-04:00

Fire Proof - A movie that recently came out. The analogy is that we must do whatever we can to make our marriages fire proof. Its a really good movie, you should check it out if it is playing in your area! But I would like to comment on something that stuck out to me personally. If you haven't seen the movie... watch for this in the beginning. The married couple speak of money briefly, but it is not a major theme (though it does play a role throughout). I personally feel that money issues are as big, if not bigger, than some of the other issues the characters have to deal with. (Not to lessen the importance of the other issues.)

It really stuck out to me that the two had separate bank accounts, separate money and they even separated the bills. What is up with this? I see and hear of so many couples that start out their marriage like this. Some have long and good marriages, some do not. Why would you want to ever have a marriage where it is said "The two shall become one" and yet you purposely build in a divider at the beginning?!?! Even if you bring money and bills into the marriage, I believe that part of the marriage committment is taking the good (income/money) and the bad(bills). But if you keep money separate like this, then this part of the marriage can almost becomes secretive between the two people or lead to arguments when purchasing decisions are made. Now, I am not saying that there are no reasons to have multiple accounts and even a little mad money here and there. I am saying that having separate money, separate accounts and separate bills can build in a seperation that eventually leads to separate lives. Whether that means divorce or not, who knows? That is your call. But it could mean that your marriage is not as complete as it could be.

Vote for President 2009

2008-09-16T19:14:00.005-04:00

Ok, I've just got to say something. There are too many entertainers, athletes, and talk show hosts leading us all down the wrong path here. You have to look at what is available to vote for, what they stand for and compare it to what you stand for or want out of government.

Having a black president or a woman vice president is NOT a good reason to vote for someone. They are both inexperienced and experienced in different things. And even if the Obama family are black activist, they have that right. But that does not mean they will be able to turn this country on its head. And even if the Palin family are and extreme Evangelical Christian activists. I doubt they will be able to over turn Rowe -v- Wade. Not to mention that Obama is not running against Palin. And just to say it since I've heard both sides say it about the other. The Democrats do have a black candidate. Yes, he is a great speaker, politician, leader, etc. But race was just as much a factor as any other. The Republicans didn't have any kind of minority, but they do now. Yes, she is a great speaker, politician, leader, etc. But gender was just as much a factor as any other. With that said. Both sides also have an OLD, experienced guy on the ticket. Now you just have to decide which one will be able to LEAD the country in the right direction and have the ability get changes through congress.

Which leads me to my second point. Yes, George Bush has made lots of mistakes. But I will say that I like a president that tries to do the right thing no matter what the polls say. Furthermore, if you'll remember back to civics class...the president does not have all the power. He is not able to run the country without the congress. So when you're voting, think about these people too. If you don't like the way things are, its just as much their fault as it is the presidents. In many cases, more so because they don't have term limits.

Final analysis. Quit listening to MSNBC, Fox News, Oprah, Bill Maher, Rush Limbaugh, etc. Listen to the candidates and vote for the ones you think will do the best for you. Not one will save you and not one will screw you any worse than the other. In reality, your life, finances, health, etc. all comes back to you!

No Cell, No Worries?

2008-09-16T19:00:00.004-04:00

So there I was, preparing to get on a plane. I figured I would go ahead and turn off my cell phone, that's when I noticed that I didn't have my cell. No worries, it must be in my carry on bag. When I looked, no cell phone! I quickly looked back where I was sitting, it was not there either. Did I really remember putting in my bag or pocket? We'll just say it in the truck. Must be. Later that day I get an email from my wife saying that "Reggie" had my cell phone and had left his number. I called him the next morning (in New York) and he kindly explained how he tried to turn it in to customer service, but they wouldn't take it. Even more surprisingly, he offered to UPS it back to me.

Then it occurred to me. How often have I lost my way in this world? Many times. Funny thing is, God also gave a way to bring us back to Him. Free of charge.

Horse in the yard!

2008-09-08T23:34:00.004-04:00

Sounds interesting huh? I was working from home when I saw something big run by the window. And since I live in the country and off the road, I was a bit surprised to see anything big run by the window. When I got up to look, I saw the big brown horse standing in my yard, eating my grass. I guess the rest of the field he crossed wasn't good enough for him. If you look at the picture, you'll see a little white spec next to the horse. That is our Pekingese guard dog. Well I called my wife who called the owner and stood with him until she came to lead him back. The next night around 1 am, we were awakened by our ferocious guard dog barking and running around the house. When I looked outside (half expecting a robber) I see the horse again. This time I'm on my own because I don't know the phone number of the owner and my wife says its rude to call that late. So, I get a rope and try my best to put it on him the way the owner did the day before. He finally lets me put the rope on but just looks at me. After a bit of talking to him, he actually walks with me all the way back to the barn. I'm thinking the rope was more for me than him. There were no lights, but he knew the best way through the field to avoid the thorns. It was still up to me to figure out how to open the gate in the dark. After more talking and prodding, he snorted and went through the open gate to the barn. I found the place in the fence he had knocked down and fixed it back as best I could. And I walked back home...and hit every thorn between the barn and my house. Not sure what the spirtual moral here is (if any). Maybe we're all like horses and sometimes want to bust out of the fence or hedge that God puts up to protect us. Maybe the horse is like God and sometimes we want to lead but only he knows the way through the thorns. Two things I do know. 1. I now call myself a cowboy. Even if it is only the weakest of links to reality. 2. Its rude to call people after 10 pm, even if it is their horse in my yard.

Little Hands...

2008-08-29T22:53:00.002-04:00

I walk through this life of mine. No more special or privileged than any one else. On this walk, I am usually with others and always with myself. Sometimes while on this walk, I see the little hands reaching out to us. And I am always reminded, by those little hands, that I am a part of us.
Those hands reach out and tremble. Small and cold, just wanting to be held. So I take hold of those hands. Some pull away, but usually they just hold mine too. Together we walk, and the warmth grows between us. Later, I must let go of these hands, for their walk is different than mine. They are bigger now than before. Full of strength, warmth and confidence. And they remind me, that I am now a part of them. Then those hands wave and walk away.

A poem about and for my wonderful wife Tina and all the other wives, mothers and teachers of this world. Willing to the hold the hands that reach out to them every day.

A real pain in the neck

2008-08-27T20:16:00.006-04:00

For years now, I've had to live with pains in my neck. The doctors have always said it was related to my working in front of a computer screen all day long. (And here I sit.) I've learned to live with it and get through it. All of us live with pain of some sort. Some of its physical and some is emotional. And sometimes we are even the cause of someone's pain. Now for physical pain, you can go see a doctor. Maybe there will be a cure via medicine, therapy or even surgery. And sometimes you just have to live with it. I'll never forget that an older friend of mine once told me that now that he is old, its the pain that reminds him that he is alive. And while he still enjoyed his life with friends and family, he couldn't wait for the day when there was no more pain.

Emotional pain can be similar, but many times its even harder to get rid of (if at all). I know many people that live every day with great emotional pains of the heart and soul. Some caused by others whom they love. Some caused by the loss of ones they loved. Most of those pains I cannot even imagine, nor do I want to. I have a great friend named Murray Watson. I met him not long after I got out of the military. We have worked together on several jobs and many times we just get together for lunch or supper. He was one of those select people that I could put in the category of best friend. Murray passed away a while back from medical complications. Even now, I still have days where the sun and wind is just right or a smell is in the air, and it reminds me of a good time we had together. I get those same experiences sometimes as it relates to my grandparents and others I know. Kind of like around September when you walk outside and it smells like football season.

Can I give advice to others? Each of us have to find our own way out of emotional pains. It amazes me to see how some people overcome such pain. Some things are just hard to get over. And somethings just should never be "gotten over", but they should not take over your life either. I have chosen to live with the sweet memories of those I miss and just use the good memories to block out the pain.

I didn't mean to get so deep here, but we all have pains. Sometimes just sharing with others is all you need to do for the emotional pains. And going to the doctor is always good advice for the physical pains. Just remember that life is short enough. Try not to live too much of it in pain. And I promise to try to write something more fun next time. ;)

Guitar lessons.

2008-08-20T16:38:00.000-04:00

For Christmas this past year, my wife got me 3 months of guitar lessons for the guitar she got me a few years back. It had sat in the closet for a while now. I initially resisted doing this. But she knows me better than I know myself. I actually ended up taking lessons for 6 months. Thanks Tina! And thanks Randy for putting up with me. I now know the basic chords and actually enjoy playing. Though I must admit, I'm not too good at it. I even recently sold my old banjo (which I had quit playing) and took that money, plus some Christmas money I saved, and bought myself and electric guitar (Epiphone Goth with Line 6 spider amp). I'll never be a rock star...but its sure fun trying. I know the guitar works, one of my son's friends really rocked it out for me. See here on YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYdFlb4Kr64). Makes me think about life. Sometimes we're too scared, tired or ornery to try something new. But when we do, we sometimes love it. My wonderful wife always pushes us to do or try something new. I usually like everything she picks for us/me. Sometimes she even tries something I suggest and she likes it. (e.g. Sushi) Some things I've tried over the years and enjoyed:

Golf
Guitar
Para-sailing
Teaching Sunday School
Fishing with my high school buddies. (see the hurricane we endured...what fun that was!!!)

Try something new today, maybe you'll love it.

Casting out.

2008-08-18T21:33:00.000-04:00

This is something I wrote for myself a while back to get through some tough times. Its a personal version of Mark 5:1-20. I encourage you to find meaningful writings and apply them to yourself. Sometimes you are the good, sometimes you are the bad. But you are most certainly in the story.

*******************************

Then Jesus went to Cherryville, NC where He met a man tormented by evil spirits. There, the man lived like the dead. He cried out night and day as he tried to carry the burdens of life on his own. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of Him. The man shouted at the top of his voice, "Why do you allow these spirits to torment me? Swear to God that you will not allow them to torture me further!" And so, Jesus sent away the evil spirits. Then He said to the man, "Go and live like the living! Go and tell everyone what God has done for you!" So the man left and shared his story, and everyone was amazed.

Corbin, Chapter 3

2008-08-18T15:01:00.001-04:00

It came to pass that a group of believers gathered in Cherryville, NC to travel to Crobin, KY…to serve the Lord. They were led by a man, of the region of Burke, called David. He assembled a group of 55 men, women and youth to travel across the mountains to do the work the Lord had prepared for them. When they arrived at their destination, they unloaded to the rooms prepared for them and had their first of many great feasts in the hall of dining. The next day was the Lord’s Day, and the believers worshiped with the people of Corbin. Their leader had just returned from great travels and reported wondrous things to us all. The following day, the believers separated into groups and began to work. A large group worked on walls, just as those written about in Nehemiah. All of them were blessed from working in the presence of God and would routinely come back white as ghosts. Many of the women and youth began to feed the people of the area with both physical and spiritual food. The smallest group of believers was made up of men from the land of giants. They were sent to work in what seemed like a small cave, but it was really just a short basement. The devil tried to est the believers by locking doors that were previously opened, stopping the nightly celebrations and rejoicing in the Lord and even preventing supplies from being delivered. But, the believers persevered. Doors reopened, singing continued into the night and rejoicing spread all throughout the camp. Some were so inspired that they jumped for joy on their beds. And while no demons were cast out, it is said that some called upon God to send thunder and lightning to drive away the demons. After seven days had past, the work was completed. A house was now a home for the homeless. A basement was now bedrooms and a bath for a handicapped boy and his brother. The local shelter and mission house had been blessed with much needed help. And the people of Corbin saw what God could do through others. And so, the group of believers returned home together. And they learned:

No one person has every talent required to do all the work the Lord requires, but as a body of believers we do.

We cannot fix all things broken in this world, but God can.

Note: This is a writing to tell about the travels of people from the First Baptist Church of Cherryville, NC to Corbin, KY on their mission trip. The writing was meant to emulate how bible verses are typically written and their are some comical entries of which some may only be understood by those who went. The trip was long, hard and even stressful. Hardest work I've ever done and I plan to do it again next year!

Watch the video!

Thoughts on blogging.

2008-08-18T14:32:00.000-04:00

Blogging, the new world of expression. Open to almost anyone with a computer. And here I am, with my very on blog site. I wonder what I'll write about. Will it be deep and personal thoughts? Will it be riveting and interesting to others. Will anyone else even see what I wrote? I could say things about politics, religion, science, money, computers, sports or even little ole me. For now I'll only say "Hello!" to you who read this. And then, leave you with this question:

Who or what do you trust in? Could it be God, man, yourself or nothing? It will be interesting to see if anyone has the courage to truly express themselves as well as the courage to listen to what others say too.