Greener Grass or Artificial Turf?
Posted on September 16
GREENER GRASS OR ARTIFICIAL TURF? Some people go through life trying to find a reason why they’re not successful where they are. They feel like the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. It may look greener, but it is usually artificial turf! God’s greenest grass is right where you are standing. Produce where you are planted! For years, I went to Larry Brown at Kut Above to get my hair cut.... more »
Posted in Inspirational
Getting or Giving
Posted on September 9
GETTING OR GIVING Doris Buffett was the older sister of Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world. Warren announced in 2006 that he wanted to donate most of his $77 billion fortune before he died. Doris volunteered to sift through all of the requests and to make recommendations to her brother. Doris was interested in helping people who really needed it, such as paying for dentures, wheelchairs, automobile repairs, etc. She did... more »
Posted in Inspirational
I Didn’t Expect That!
Posted on September 2
I DIDN’T EXPECT THAT! Rafael Nadal is a 19-time Grand Slam Tennis champion. When I retired from Frazer in 2008, the church gave Lynn and me tickets to attend the Wimbledon Tennis Tournament in London. We saw Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer for the first time in the longest finals match ever played at Wimbledon. Recently, the tennis world saw pictures of the real heart of Rafael Nadal. He had just finished an extensive practice... more »
Posted in Inspirational
PANdemic or PLANdemic?
Posted on August 26
PANDEMIC OR PLANDEMIC? This is a tough time in which we are living. But we choose whether it is a PANdemic or a PLANdemic. A PANdemic is a widespread outbreak of a disease. I’ll define a PLANdemic as a widespread outbreak of a desire to know and follow God’s Plan. A PANdemic is debilitating, defeating, and destructive. A PLANdemic is positive, purposeful, and productive. A PANdemic produces panic. A PLANdemic produces possibilities! I’m concerned about... more »
Posted in Inspirational
Next Level Commitment
Posted on August 19
NEXT LEVEL COMMITMENT Soo Seok Yang is an outstanding Christian young man in Montgomery. I’ve served with him on several things here in Montgomery. He is a lawyer with Beasley Allen and recently wrote a devotional for their entire staff. He heard this story from his father-in-law, who has been a missionary in Taiwan for the past 35 years. During the Korean War, Soo Seok’s grandmother and her husband were held at gunpoint by North... more »
Posted in Inspirational
Decisions…Decisions…
Posted on August 12
DECISIONS…DECISIONS… Where we will be tomorrow depends on the decisions that we make today. Decisions determine our destiny. We all must make decisions concerning COVID-19. There are good, smart people on all sides of the issues. Decisions made will reflect our attitude towards ourselves and other people. One issue is about wearing masks. I will wear one at appropriate times to communicate that I care about other people. Let me paraphrase a famous statement by... more »
Posted in Inspirational
God Has a Tattoo
Posted on August 5
GOD HAS A TATTOO Did you know that God has a tattoo? Isaiah 49:15 (NLT) says, “Can a mother forget her little child and not have love for her own son? I will never forget you; Look, I have tattooed your name in the palm of my hand.” Sometimes we feel like God has forgotten about us. This is true for many people during the past few months with the spread of the COVID-19, the... more »
Posted in Inspirational
The Boy from Troy
Posted on July 29
THE BOY FROM TROY A young boy was born to a sharecropper on the outskirts of Troy, AL. He was the third of ten children. Not many people would project that he could make much of a difference, but the Boy from Troy became a difference-maker. Let me share five lessons of life that we can learn from John Lewis. Where you start from is not nearly as important as where you end up. John Lewis... more »
Posted in Inspirational
A Game-Changing Question
Posted on July 22
A GAME-CHANGING QUESTION Years ago, a friend asked me a question that has helped me focus on an aspect of my purpose in life. He said, “John Ed, who are you influencing to do what you’ve been doing when you are no longer here to do it?” Great question! A game-changer! It involves intentional prioritizing, mentoring, and training. I had a good African-American friend who died in July 2020 who did the best job in... more »
Posted in Inspirational
Hello, My Name Is…
Posted on July 15
HELLO, MY NAME IS… It’s so important for every person to return the Census information so that they are counted. Your name counts! It’s important for you, for our state, and our nation. A census worker came to an unpretentious house. When he knocked on the door, he was greeted by a weary mother. He said, “Lady, I want to know how many there are in this family. How many children do you have?” “Well…” she said in a leisurely... more »
