Month: June 2020

Only if Christ sets you free are you truly free. John 8:36

Our Father’s God to Thee, author of liberty, to Thee we sing. Long may our land be bright, with freedom’s holy light; Protect us by Thy might, Great God our King. Samuel Francis Smith

After the terrorist attack on our nation in 2001, the Mt. Bethel Church family began to honor our nation and our freedom by singing the above verse of My Country Tis of Thee every Sunday during church. This song always stirs such patriotism, humility and pride in each of us as Americans and as God’s people because it reminds us of the cost of Freedom. It also reminds us that God is the author of that Freedom!

The word freedom is defined as the power or right to act, speak, or think as one wants without hindrance. The definition also includes absence of foreign domination and state of not being imprisoned or enslaved. Although we enjoy freedom every day in this country, how often do we really think of what it means? What if Freedom stopped ringing?

Last year, Randy and I took a trip, and one of the stops was St. Petersburg, Russia. It was a beautiful city, and the sights, sounds, and people were so interesting. Even though there was nothing wrong on the surface, there was an underlying sense that though everything seemed fine, the people there were operating as though their every move might be monitored or censored. As we sailed away, I remember heaving a sigh of relief and thanking God that I live in America.

Freedom is something we should never take for granted, but many of us need to be reminded how important it is. There are many dangers associated with those who don’t understand the freedom they enjoy, or those who are forgetting to Let Freedom Ring.

People can take Freedom for granted for many reasons. The first reason people take freedom for granted is ignorance. These are the folks who have never lived through a day in their life without freedom, and they don’t take the time to learn the history of it and what it would be like without it.

Next, people often take freedom for granted because of arrogance. These are the folks who just feel Freedom is their right, and it’s up to others to fight for it. They want to enjoy the benefits with no commitment on their part.

Then, people can take freedom for granted because of complacency. These folks just believe nothing can ever threaten America, and they trust the government to protect their Freedom. These are the folks that are totally unaware of the dangers of losing Freedom.

Finally, people can take freedom for granted because of reluctance. These people just stand back and let things fall apart because they don’t want to get involved. These are the silent majority.

People in our culture today want Freedom, in fact they demand it! This freedom is escalating to such a degree that they want to be free to do whatever they want, to whomever they want, and they don’t want anyone to object to it. They want all the things that are wrong to be tolerated and blame it on Freedom. I don’t think that’s the Freedom our fore fathers fought to gain for America.

There are things we can all do to Let Freedom Ring. Rather than being ignorant, become educated; rather than being arrogant, practice humility; rather than being complacent, become uneasy; rather than being reluctant, become eager.

In every school I ever attended or in which I taught, we started the day with the Pledge to the Flag of the United States of America. The most humbling thing ever is to help a young child learn to take their right hand and place it over their heart during this pledge. It’s the utmost privilege to teach them how to respect and honor their country and freedom. It’s a privilege for all of us to practice this respect and pass it on!

As we prepare to celebrate the birth of our great nation, my prayer is that Freedom will Ring. Happy 4th of July!

My country ’tis of Thee, sweet land of liberty, of Thee I sing. Land where my father’s died, Land of the pilgrim’s pride, From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right. Psalm 84:11

You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending. C.S. Lewis

It’s amazing how many times we hear people say, “If I knew then what I know now, things would be different. I would have done a lot of things differently, and things would have turned out better.” Sometimes we wish we could live life backwards!

Years ago when we were serving a county seat church, Randy felt that he had done all he could do there and that it was time to move on. He met with the bishop and they talked. At the end of the conversation, Bishop Fitzgerald asked him one question, “Do you trust me to do the right thing for you?” The answer was “Yes”. Randy came home and recounted the conversation, and said, “Now, what the heck does that mean?” We stayed another year and the church was recognized as church of the year for the North Georgia Conference. The next year, Randy was sent to Mt. Bethel, and we realized exactly what the Bishop meant – the rest is history. If we had been in control, things would have certainly been different.

Ruth Graham said that if God hadn’t been in control of her life, she would have married the wrong man several times. If she could live life backwards, she obviously wouldn’t.

That’s exactly how God deals with every child of His when we turn things over and sacrifice our will to His. We leave a growing area of ministry at His command, then He provides one better than we had ever dreamed. We surrender all our cherished hopes and die to self, then He sends overwhelming joy and life more abundant than we ever imagined.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about changing the history of our country and our people. People want to remember life differently than history records. What part of history should we change? Would that make us a better nation today? I wonder what the brave men and women who fought and died in the World Wars would think of eradicating their sacrifice? How would veterans who died in unpopular wars view the change? Would they want to live life backwards so they could change a decision they made?

Would we want to live knowing that all the joy, sorrow or pain that has been a part of our lives might be lost forever? Which event would we choose to eliminate in order to make our lives better? Instead of changing history, shouldn’t we learn from it?

When most of us look back over our lives and ask ourselves, “What would I do differently if I could live life backwards?”, the answer is obvious. Each decision or path we made or took leads to us being who we are as a person, a community, a nation, and a people. For most of us, the answer is that God has directed our paths, so we would change nothing.

Our job now is to look back over mistakes, bad decisions, lack of compassion and love, selfish ways, and anything that holds us back from achieving the life God has planned for us. The reality is we can’t live life backwards, so let’s make the most of the life that is in front of us.

A book is best enjoyed from beginning to end, but best understood from the end to the beginning. copied

Where He leads me I will follow, where He leads me I will follow; where he leads me I will follow, I’ll go with Him, with Him, all the way. E. W. Blandly

Start children off on the way they should go and even when they are old they will not turn from it. Proverbs 22:6

Our Daddy had many nicknames and just as many personalities that fit them! He was John Jr. to some, Bubba (a good southern name to the family), Captain (because he always drove the boat and ran a farm), Flash (because he never could get past snow plowing on the slopes), Running Bear (because he always baited duck ponds and dove fields, but never got caught when he ran from the game wardens even though they knew exactly who he was), Mr. John (because our friends held him in high regard or were scared of him, don’t know which), Honey (to my mother), Daddy (to his three girls), PaPa (to his grandchildren), and Big John (to his sons in law who to this day hold that name reverent). Most people in town just called him “a character”.

Daddy grew up in Donalsonville with his mother, father, sister and two younger brothers. As the eldest son, a lot of the responsibility of the family farm and business fell to him. Although farming was his main job, later in life, he got into real estate when Lake Seminole was created, and he sold land around the lake. He loved the land and was always quick to say, “There’s one thing God won’t make any more of and that’s land.”

During the week, he was up early and out driving the 18 miles each day to the farm outside of town. This is not to say he was working all this time. He followed a strict schedule which usually included a stop by Johnson’s store where he visited with the locals, another stop by Harvey’s to chat with his manager about the day, and usually a stop by his Mama and Daddy’s house to chat late in the afternoon. He visited his brother, Wallace, at People’s Supply and his brother in law, Hudson, at Firestone at least one day a week, along with his brother Bill at the Egg Plant. Conversation, family and people were important to him. My mother always said “Your Daddy could talk to a post.”

No matter where he went, he usually had three things with him; his hat, his gun and his pocket knife. Except for church and in the house, he always wore a hat. He removed it when he entered a house and replaced it on his head when he left! He carried a pocket knife to open letters, bills, and for incidentals. He carried a gun because you never know when the opportunity to hunt might arise in South Georgia.

Daddy drove fast, knew everybody in town, had a temper, had a great sense of humor, washed his car about the time he expected us home from a date, and was present when the Alday murderers were captured. He smoked cigarettes until one night when all the stores were closed, and he couldn’t buy any. That made him mad, so he quit smoking and began to eat peppermint candy instead. Until the day he died, you could always find peppermints in his front seat.

As a farmer, he lived and died by the weather and there were many times when he watched crops literally burn up in the field. He and our family dealt with a lot of stress which still plaques our farmers these days.

Every weekend in the spring and summer, would find us on the lake skiing with Daddy driving the boat. Many times he would drop us in the middle of the lake while he went to talk to someone he knew on shore. His parting words were, “Hold your ski up, I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

Daddy was in church on his pew every Sunday morning, and we sat in the same section with his Daddy, brothers, and sister and their respective families. Church was a family affair and everyone knew if you weren’t there. My Mama sat in the choir and her family attended the Baptist church as they were outnumbered by Drakes at the Methodist.

He loved his family fiercely, and he would do anything to protect them. He was tough, but tender hearted, and the day I married Randy as he walked me down the aisle with tears in his eyes, he was heard to say very loudly, “Sugar, you don’t have to marry this boy! You can live with us forever!” After the vows were taken, and we were pronounced man and wife, Randy kissed the bride three times. My Daddy was heard to say, “Oh hello, we are going to be here all day!”

We miss his humor, his laughter, his antics, but most of all we miss his love and his hugs! As our family celebrates this Father’s Day with all the special Dads in our family, we are grateful for Daddy’s influence in our lives.

Happy Father’s Day to all our Dads!

So in Christ, we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. Romans 12:5

John Fawcett was a Baptist minister in the 18th century where he and his wife served a small, very poor congregation. John was presented with the opportunity to move to a very large affluent congregation which he accepted. He and his wife packed their wagon, but as they were saying tearful good byes to their sweet congregation, his wife said, “I cannot bear to leave these people – I love them.” John replied, “I feel the same way, so here we will stay.” He ended up serving that church for fifty four years.

I tell that story because John also wrote one of my favorite hymns, Bless Be The Tie That Binds after the experience with his church. During this sad time of social unrest, it would be such a blessing if that song were sung during protest rallies, church services, and public demonstrations. The words, Bless be the tie that binds, our hearts in Christian love, the fellowship of kindred minds, is like to that above, would be such a comfort.

John Wesley said it best, Though we cannot think alike, can we not love alike? May we not be of one heart, though we are not of one opinion? Without all doubt we may. Herein all the children of God may unite, notwithstanding these differences. If love is at the base of our differences, we can use it to be the Tie that Binds.

There are many whose attitude may say, if you don’t agree with me politically, you hate America. There might be those who have the attitude, if you have different values or skin color, then you are opponent. Ask the question, “What does God think of that opinion or attitude?”

If you look to the left of you or to the right of you, you have no idea what it’s like to be that person, but you can be sure that each one of them struggles with something. Everyone knows what it’s like to feel hurt, to feel afraid, lost or alone. Collectively we need to do whatever needs to be done to help each other.

The Tie that Binds should begin locally as well as nationally and globally. A group of ladies meeting together asked these questions of me lately: “Do you know how many homeless people live in your area? Do you know where they sleep? Do you know how many children don’t have enough food each day? Do you know how many single parents are struggling to make ends meet and care for their families? Do you know how many elderly are sequestered in nursing homes and at home and hear from no one outside their family? Do you know how hard it is during this time for people suffering from depression or anxiety to cope? Do you know how many people have lost loved ones during this virus and cannot have memorial services for closure?” I shamefully do not know the numbers or the answers to many of these questions. I realized that though I profess Christianity, maybe I don’t show enough concern for people to know what I’m all about.

If we as Christians do our job, then no one should have to wonder what we are about. It should be evident in our words, our actions, our deeds, our caring, our outreach, our inclusion, and our love. My prayer is that we as Christians and Americans can come together in unity, peace and love. God never creates a person that is not of worth!

(The photo is of Randy and Robert after the Mt. Bethel UMC voted to start a Homeless Ministry)

He said this and then spit in the dust, made a clay with his saliva, rubbed the paste on the blind man’s eyes and said, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam”. The man did, and he saw. John 9:6 from The Message

All I could see from where I stood, was three long mountains and a wood; I turned and looked another way, and saw three islands in a bay. Edna St. Vincent Millay from the poem Renascence

Randy and I were walking the other day around the lake behind the Field of Dreams at the church. We love the beauty of the property and the view it affords. While we were sitting on the bench, two friends walked by and remarked on the beauty of the setting. Then, he said, “You know, I was against the church buying this property, but I had no idea it was this beautiful.” Randy remarked, “I never knew that. Did you ever walk back here to see it?” When he shook his head, no, Randy said, “Aren’t you glad the church saw what you didn’t?” He needed to see it to appreciate it!

Our friend only looked at one aspect of the acquisition of the acres of land, but the committee who bought the land had the vision of what it could become! Now it’s filled with ball fields, children’s laughter and learning, and people around the lake all the time!

People see things in different ways, and that can have its advantages and its disadvantages. If two people tell the same story, it will probably be different. Different people have differing accounts on the Civil War, WWII, government, politics, etc. it depends on who is telling the story and their perception of the event.

I happen to love crime and mystery books and movies, and it seems that in each, the authorities always place their witnesses in different rooms, listen to the account of each, and compare the similarities and discrepancies.

The word anoint means “to pour on and rub in”. Jesus anointed the man in this verse and caused his eyes to become sighted. Then the man could see Jesus as he was, not only, as a prophet, a teacher, a man, but as Lord and Savior.

It makes all the difference when we can see things for ourselves rather than taking another’s word for it. Florence Chadwick, a long distance swimmer, attempted to swim 21 miles across the Catalina Channel and become the first woman to do so. The fog was so think, she couldn’t see land and despite the encouragement from her crew that land was near, after 15 hours and 55 minutes, she gave up and came on board the boat. In an interview later she said, “If I could have only seen the land for myself, I know I could have made it.”

When we can see things for ourselves, we are anointed and it changes things. It can change the way we see others. In the last months, I’ve begun to learn so many new things about our neighbors. Now, I see beyond any annoyances or differences and see the best in each of them. My eyes have been anointed.

It also changes the way we see ourselves. We’ve all done things during this virus that we never thought possible. We’ve embraced the lonely, called the sick, zoomed with relatives and friends, and visited in driveways and yards. We have seen others in a different light and we’ve been amazed at ourselves -our eyes have been anointed.

It changes the way we see our needs. During this time, we’ve seen people less concerned with what we don’t have and more thankful for things we do have. We have compassion and want to help the hungry, the imprisoned, and the homeless. Years ago when Randy and I served a circuit in the Covington area, which I thought was at the end of the world, one of the churches was so small that it was facing a financial crisis when we arrived. The people were panicking and began to turn their focus inward to save themselves. Once they were led to turn their focus outward and help the community, the church began to flourish. The people began to look beyond their own needs, and their eyes were anointed.

It also changes the way we see Jesus. We begin to realize that Jesus is worthy of our praise and worthy of our heart, mind and strength. He is in charge, and if we only let Him, he will anoint us with a new vision and a new strength. We can see Jesus for ourselves!

Jesus says there will be a test at the end where we are accountable for how we see Him, ourselves, others and the world.

One of my favorite hymns says it best. Open my eyes that I may see, glimpses of truth thou hast for me; Place in my hand the wonderful key, that shall unclasp and set me free. Silently now, I wait for Thee; ready, my God, they will to see; open my eyes, illumine me, Spirit divine. Clara H. Scott