Worship "Quick-Time"

We enjoy our conveniences; they speed things up. Imagine how much time you save each morning with your automatic coffee maker, blow dryers and Toaster Studdels. How did the world survive without drive through hamburger joints? Communication is now so much faster with texting taking the place of emails which took the place of typed letters and so on. While I am writing this with “tongue in cheek” I do appreciate those things that do help up save time and make our lives more efficient.

However I do not think some things were meant to be stream lined. There are those things that need to be given attention. Talks with those you love, that lingering look at the sunset just cannot be shortened and still be effective.

Recently I was driving to Fort Worth and a church caught my attention. It wasn’t the architecture which was unusual but a gigantic banner that hung across the front that made me wonder if it was speaking to me. The banner read:

30 MINUTE WORSHIP SESSIONS

If we who call ourselves “people of God”, “followers of Christ”, “devoted Christians” cannot find in our weeks more than thirty-minutes to put all things aside and worship the God who created and loved us enough to give Himself for our eternal salvation then something in our “devotion” must be wrong.

I know how I felt when I saw the banner. I wonder how God felt when it was hung or how he feels each time people enter into His house with just thirty-minutes to give.

I know, nowhere does it say how long worship should be. But, still, it just hits me wrong!

Important Stuff

Last week I had the wonderful opportunity to represent First Baptist Church Cotulla as a messenger to the Baptist General Convention of Texas annual meeting in Fort Worth. This was about an 8 hour drive from Cotulla. After the meeting I was able to visit with my mother, step-father, brother and niece for a night. Wednesday morning found me making the long drive back to South Texas.

One of the great things about long rides alone is that you have a lot of time to sing with the radio or think. I usually think, although I do enjoy singing, but thinking seems to be more productive. I got to thinking about all the people I reconnected with at the convention and the fact that we are now the “older” guys of the religious “establishment”. I thought about the things (however few or eternally important) I had accomplished in my career. Ultimately I felt that most of those were not as important as I thought they were while working to accomplish them. I have come to believe that when all is said and done I desire to know that I have the respect and love of

My Parents
My Wife
My Sons

To know that when we are together and are walking in public they walk with some pride because they are beside me; that is most important! Ultimately I believe at some point in life this becomes the most important thing to us all; Parents, spouse and children.

If that is the case then let me give my part.

Mom. . . I can never repay what you have given for me. I can only start to understand the sacrifice you made for us in the “days” you had to bring up two young hard-headed boys. Thank you

Debbie. . . Never could I have asked for a better partner in this life! It has not been easy and you have made my mistakes look good. We raised two great boys and I am not sure we could ask to do more!

Landall and Shawn. . . Dirt and Water, Dark and Light, Sun and Moon. . . as opposite as two could be but both vital to my existence and identification. You do not yet know what you have meant to me. You both have found what it means to chase a dream even if that dream cost. I am proud of you both!

I cannot say that if you did not make the list you are un-important to me. . .but ultimately these are the smiles and nods of approval I desire!

Skeeters

In August this year I experienced an phenomenon that I had never before. When we moved to South Texas (Cotulla) I noticed one evening that there were no “skeeters” (to some you would say “skeetas”). In every place I have ever lived I have had to deal with the little blood sucking, buzzing in your ear pest. They have always seemed to be very attracted to me and can find me in a large crowd. But I begin to notice there didn’t seem to be any around here. I was told that it was due to the dry climate.

The funny thing was that when we moved here they received almost a solid two weeks of rain. Dry? Well maybe it was a relative statement. It was not long that I began to understand their meaning of dry. It really got dry and it stayed hot! But, there were still not skeeters. I was liking this.

Now that Fall has fully come in South Texas (the daily temperatures are all the way down to high 80’s now) it is still dry but cooler and guess what? Skeeters! These are not the “carry your cow off” size that we had in the panhandle but they are the size of gnats and they are so fast you can’t swat them, but they can bite you. Not only do they bite but they leave these huge itchy bumps. Between your fingers, on your elbows even the soft spot behind your ear. They can get you!

Once again I have tubes of Cortisone everywhere and convinced that to taxes and death we should include SKEETERS.

My Boys

Things happen sometime that either remind you just how much your life stinks or just how fortunate you are. Funny thing is that sometimes both can happen with a few minutes of each other. However, on this day I have been reminded several times of just how fortunate I was (I will not speak for Debbie but I am sure she will agree) with my two sons.

I have probably written five different “blogs” to simply say this. Landall, Shawn your Dad is proud of you. Both of you have faced different situations and have proven that your are fighters. I have all the faith that both of you have “what it takes” and will find your place.

I love you!