A Fishing Trip to Beat All Fishing Trips

Travis and I journeyed up to his house on Lake Sinclair to do a little fishing the other day and man did we have an experience. For some unknown reason, the fish were biting for us and we hauled them in with little effort. We asked several of the locals if they had ever seen any fish like these in the lake and no one had, so for all we know, we caught the limit. It took a while for us to clean this many but we got the job done and made our way back home.

I had the feeling that you would enjoy this "fish story"!

Keep the faith!

A Thought for A Monday Evening

Most days I have specific plans--things I want to accomplish because they are important to me--but I have noticed that oftentimes God has other plans for me--things that are important to Him. Just for the record, He has His own way of seeing to it that I carry out His plans, regardless of the importance I might place on mine. Yes, this is a good thing but sometimes it is a bit, shall I dare to say, inconvenient! When this happens, as it did today, it takes me a little while to get my bearings and realize that He has a much better day planned for me than I could have ever planned.

As you might imagine, Mondays are, well they are Mondays and today is Monday; however, that didn't seem to bother God one bit. It might as well have been Thursday or Tuesday, as far as He is concerned. Anyway, just about the time my feet were ready to hit the floor this morning, the phone rang and it was my daughter, Amy, apologizing for calling so early in the morning (I knew something of significance was happening!) and asking me if there was any way I could drive to Bryon and pick up Caroline, our youngest granddaughter, who was ill, having been awake since three in the morning "in pain and crying." Well the truth is I could have had an appointment with the Apostle Paul this morning but even he would have had to wait because I cannot even imagine my being unavailable to my grandchildren, especially when one of them is sick.

There is much I could tell you about this event but those things have nothing to do with my point, which is this: the Creator of this Universe had plans for me today that did not coincide with my plans; however, I am here to tell you that His plans produced a much better day for me than mine would have ever produced. At first, it felt a bit inconvenient but those feeling passed very quickly, as I began to see what was unfolding!

The long and short of it is this: I drove to Bryon and picked up Caroline and took her to the pediatrician's office, where we sat for over an hour before we saw the Doc. While we waited, we were able to talk about things that mattered to her, not the least of which was whether or not she would have to get a shot. The Doc made her diagnosis, wrote prescription, and sent us on our way, telling us that it would be several days before she saw any improvement, even with the medicine.

Regardless, we were out of the Doc's office and it was now lunchtime but she was too sick to want to eat, so we stopped and got the prescription filled and while I was in the pharmacy, I gave her some Motrin, hoping to relieve her pain. Believe it or not, in about 20 minutes, she said, "Granddaddy, I think I could eat a "little something" now." I let her pick the place and we dined on chicken wings, and followed that up with a stop at the ice cream store! We finally made it to my house and she was feeling badly again, so she made her way to the sofa and took a nap. Somewhere around 3:30, she wanted her "Mama" and nothing else would satisfy her--not even her granddaddy!

I will stop this but let me tell you that what I did today will live in her mind and heart long after I am in Heaven and it made my day! Somewhere before she left with her "mama", she said, "Thank you granddaddy for coming to get me and for taking care of me and for doing things with me."

Needless to say, God's plans are so much better than mine could ever be!

Grace lavished,
Your Pastor

'Tis Sunday Evening

Gosh, I really had much freedom preaching this morning; there were several times when I really thought, "He is giving me this for His people!" I must tell you that I love to preach; it is my calling and my passion; I especially love it when it is so obvious that He is turning water into wine!

I trust that you enjoyed the covered dish that followed our service; to be sure, we had more than enough food for everyone. From what I could see, it appeared that you enjoyed fellowshipping with one another, as well, and that is a good thing--a very good thing!

Remember those words that Jesus spoke long ago: "Repent and believe the gospel!" What a powerful statement of His idea of the significance of the gospel!

Hallelujah!

Your Pastor

It is Now Saturday Night

It is now Saturday night and I think I have "seen" the text for tomorrow: "Repent and believe the gospel!" Who said it? None other than Jesus of Nazareth! Wow! I have been reading the Bible for many years but it is still so incredible to "see" what I have never before seen! I cannot wait to see you in the morning and attempt to share with His Word with you.

Gosh, I hope you come!!

And by the way, don't forget: COVERED DISH FOLLOWING OUR SERVICE!

Blessings with grace lavished,
Mac

On a Thursday Night

It is 9:00 Thursday evening as I begin writing this reminder that Sunday is just around the corner and I need your prayers. Why? Between now and Sunday morning, I will be preparing to preach and I truly want the message to be His Word to each of us; however, getting that accomplished is much too big a task for me. Hopefully, you will join with me, asking Him to provide His Word for us, even as He did the manna for Israel.

Please consider this passage between now and Sunday morning: "And after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel'" (Mark 1:14-15).

I am looking forward to seeing each of you then and there AND don't forget--COVERED DISH IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING OUR SERVICE!

Grace & peace,
Your Pastor

A Thing of Beauty is a Joy Forever!

Some sights are just too beautiful not to share with others and this is one of them! Paul said this: "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through through what has been made, so that they are without excuse" (Romans 1:18-20). How in the wide-world anyone can look at this picture and deny that God IS, is beyond me; I am, certainly, without excuse!
Indeed, my Redeemer liveth and He has some incredible beautiful ways of making Himself known, from glory to glory and from faith to faith!
Hallelujah! He is alive!!

Grace lavished,
Your Pastor

A New Blog for Your Reading Pleasure

Please note that I have added a new link on my blog: "The Chambered Nautilus"! This gal is an incredible writer, so I hope you will visit it often!

Sunday's Sermon

To tell you the truth, I never have been overly excited about the word "sermon" because of the negative connotation it carries; however, it is Friday and Sunday is coming, which means that it is once again "sermon time" whether I like the term or not. Actually, I prefer the term "message" because at least in my mind it means that God has a message for us and I am merely His messenger, but that scares me to death (not really but it does make me nervous!) because it implies that I need to be sure that what I am saying is His message and not mine.

Some of you know this but just in case you do not, I have a drawing in my office that is supposed to depict Jesus but it is not the usual one because in this one, He laughing and not just laughing but laughing His head off! I have no idea what got Him so tickled but He is laughing--really laughing.

You would be surprised at the numbers of people who cannot conceive of Jesus laughing and, consequently, do not appreciate the drawing. Even so, I love it and so it continues to hang on my wall (when I can keep Kevin from stealing it and hanging it on his wall)!

Now to my message for Sunday: "And when Jesus came into the official's house, and saw the flute-players, and the crowd in noisy disorder, He began to say, 'Depart; for the girl has not died, but is asleep.' And they began laughing AT HIM" (Matthew 9:23-24; emphasis, added).

It is one thing for Jesus to be laughing, but it quite another for someone to be laughing at Him, especially when He is not in a laughing mood! Unfortunately, He is laughed at lots!

I hope to see you on Sunday morning; please pray that this message will be His message!

Grace & peace,
Your Pastor

A Prayer Matter

Ralph Whitehead will be undergoing one of those wonderful GI tests tomorrow afternoon; of course he won't remember a thing about the test but he will remember getting prepared for it--and that I promise.

He has been having significant discomfort and needs relief--relief that Rolaids cannot bring--so remember to pray for him and for the Doc, especially that whatever needs "fixin'" can get fixed--pronto!

Blessings,
Your Pastor

Leftovers Tomorrow Night (Wednesday)!

I trust that each of you is primed and ready for "leftovers" tomorrow night. Have you read the chapter we will discuss? If not, please do so, as it will greatly enhance our discussion.

Annis is cooking up some concoction that you will enjoy, so keep in mind that supper will be served upon your arrival at 7:00 sharp!

I am looking forward to seeing each of you!

Blessings,
Your Pastor

Yesterday's Service

From the responses I am receiving, it is apparent that the Holy Spirit did some very incredible things during yesterday's service. In the first place, John's leadership really does "set the stage" for our being receptive to Him; and in the second place, it also make my preaching so much easier. I can only hope that John was as much in his element, as I was in mine.

The story of Jesus' raising Lazarus from a four day "Tour de Tomb" is very familiar to each of us; however, it seems that in this instance our familiarity did not breed indifference, and that is a good thing--a very good thing!

It is my guess that most of us have been able to recognize several stones that need to be removed, stones that prevent us from seeing the glory of God; some of us have probably even realized that we will need help in removing them, and this, too, is a good thing--a very good thing.

I wonder, however, if we will ever get to the place where we can trust another with our own stench? Each of us has probably already taken that risk and lost, so for the most part, we choose to keep our stench to ourselves and, therefore, continue to hide behind our very own tombstone.

Grace & peace,
Your Pastor

Sunday is almost here!

For those of you who like to know, Mary and Martha, along with some help will remove the stone and Jesus will raise Lazarus from the dead--tomorrow morning! You do not want to miss this! I hope to see each of you in the AM and I am trusting Him to do exceeding, abundantly above all we could ever ask or think!! He does specialize in this, you know!

Blessings and love,
Your Pastor

I Am Yet Alive!

For those of you who read this blog on a regular basis, I want you to know that I am yet alive and still in the blogging business. I will do better sooner than you think--that's a promise ( and you know I cannot keep them) but I promise.

Anyway, tomorrow is Travis Almand's 55 birthday and he isn't proud, so send him all the nice gifts you can and he will be so pleased to keep them. He especially like food (any kind), Titleist DT Solo golf balls, new clubs, hats, clogs, money, cash, change, golf tees, golf shirts, gift certificates, and bourbon. I think he is listed at Dillard's in the "what men want" section--sizes, preference, et al are there for you.

I was just notified that the young mother who accidentally left her 6 month old daughter in her car yesterday and found her dead in the late afternoon was released from jail this evening to go home with her mother. It is my understanding that the charges were downgraded to manslaughter. I am telling you that this judging business MUST change; God did not call us to judge others but to love them and for heaven's sake, am I the only person who makes mistakes and can admit it. I hope these blood thirsty (well, I won't say it) never find themselves in a similar situation but I have noticed that what goes around comes around.

Let me make this simple suggestion: until and unless your life is squeaky clean it will probably be wise not to judge others because Paul said that when we do we are judging them of the very things of which we are guilty.

I hope you are praying for me because it is my turn to preach on Sunday and I really do want to have His message for each one of us!

Blessings,
Mac

Leftovers Tomorrow Night at the Goddard Residence

Hopefully, you have read the next chapter in our book and are ready and eager to discuss it. I do want to ask you to review the previous chapter, however, because there are some truths in it that I want to reinforce.

We will have some edible edibles along with some drinkable drinkables, so plan to attend and enjoy the evening!

I am looking forward to seeing YOU at seven sharp!

Blessings and love,
Your Pastor

One Huge Funeral!

As most of you know, I have been involved in many funerals--small, medium, large, and extra large but today's was a XX large. Let me put it this way: Kevin Poole's funeral was the largest attended funeral service I ever remember. Now, bear in mind that Kevin was not the governor or a senator or even the mayor; he was a 26 year old man, who worked for the state highway department, was an incredible athlete (especially baseball pitcher), was not married, and lived in the big town of Butler, Georgia. His own parents were astonished at the number of people who attended both the visitation last night and the funeral service today. As we stood by Kevin's graveside, his dad said, "Mac, how in the world do we ever thank this many people?" What you don't know is this: at the time he asked me that question, a huge crowd of mourners were literally standing in pouring rain and getting soaking wet! I am telling you: it was one sight to behold. One man said, "Mac, I don't think my wife would stand out in the rain to attend my funeral." Some sights are, indeed, wonders of the world and this was one of them.

Kevin's parents are the most precious people you could ever meet; watching them today was not only a very sad experience, but also a most encouraging experience. Even in the midst of burying their son, they believed (and strongly so) that God is in control and that He is doing a good thing!

One of the speakers, a coach, told us about the last time he saw Kevin, sometimes in June (if I remember correctly), and this is what he said about that experience: "When we parted, Kevin kissed me on the cheek said, 'I love you!' Those are the last words he spoke to me."

What more can I say?

By the way, I trust that our service today was meaningful to you; I do know that I really appreciated John's leadership today. He means much to me and I know the same is true for you.

Blessings from one tired preacher!

It is Saturday Night and I am Wrestling!

No, I haven't joined the pro wrestling circuit; instead, I am wrestling with tomorrow's text--Daniel 1 (the first several verses). I hope you are praying for me because I need it. The text itself is not that difficult but seeing what is covert is not that easy--for some reason.

Anyway, Daniel "made up his mind" not to defile himself by eating and drinking the very things that most people would have jumped at the chance to eat and drink--the king's choice food and wine--and he did so with purpose!

Now, it is my opinion that he did not decide to make this decision on a whim; I think he had insight that the rest did not have and I think I can prove it (or at least try) but make up his mind he did! And yet, he asked permission to follow through with his conviction. Now, that is a novel thought!

Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing each of you tomorrow morning!!

Blessings and love,
Your Pastor

Yes! I am back!!

Yes, I am back in good ole' Macon, GA, after a brief visit to the North Georgia mountains and an even shorter visit with my sister and brothers and their extensions, in the North Carolina mountains. I am telling you this: the weather there (either place) is much cooler than it is here--much cooler!

Believe it or not but I found not one but two new and excellent places to eat in Clayton--"A Taste of New Orleans" and "Cafe Sugo"! As you know, I enjoy food and I, especially, enjoy finding these kinds of eating establishments. At Cafe Sugo, I met the young girl pictured above and let me make this suggestion: if you ever have the pleasure of eating in this Cafe, ask for Amy! She will treat you right--like really right! I also want to tell you that she is going somewhere with her life. She already has her degree in Early Childhood Development and is now about to pursue a two year course of study to become a radiology tech--talk about diversity!! Lazy is something she is not; trust me, she is not waiting on welfare to get her through life. It really is refreshing to meet someone like Amy, someone who is on the way to somewhere and she actually knows the address of that somewhere!

This afternoon, I learned that the 26 year old son of some Taylor County friends died this morning in Atlanta after an accident last night at Lake Oconee. To be sure, there is much to celebrate on Independence Day but oftentimes the celebrations bring disaster and heartache, and this tragic death is an all-too-close-to-home example. I find it hard to believe that there is anything more difficult for parents to endure than the death of a child. I know this couple and I know that their hearts are broken beyond anything I could imagine. I hope you will pray for them, as they make their way through this dark time of their lives. (For more details, visit my brother's blog; View from A Hearse).

Tonight, Annis and I drove to Danville to the home of the Chances, where I was privileged to proclaim the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ--incredible privilege!

Please know that I am looking forward to seeing each of you on Sunday morning--bright and ah, well, on time!!

Grace lavished,
Your Pastor