Recently I was asked to speak at Norphlet Elementary's Sixth Grade Graduation. Here's how it went...
Address to Norphlet 6th Grade Graduation; May 28, 2013:
Let me begin by saying what an honor it is to speak to you today. To be honest with you, I don’t remember ever having a sixth grade graduation, but I do remember my high school graduation. Here’s what I remember about it: some old geezer stood up and rattled on for what seemed like forever, and I don’t remember a thing he said. Then I went to college and at that graduation, we had another old geezer stand up and rattle on for about 45 minutes and I can’t remember what he said either. And so, when I was asked to do this, I was excited, but in all honesty I was also filled with dread, because I couldn’t help but think, “Oh man, I’m going to be THAT GUY. That guy who spoke at your sixth grade graduation, that guy who none of you will remember what I’ve said by the time you finish high school. In fact, you probably won’t remember before you get to the parking lot when we’re done here.
If my math is correct, you were born around the year 2000. For us “old geezers” we can remember what the world was like back then. We can remember the St. Louis Rams beat the Tennessee Titans in one of the most thrilling Super Bowls ever played. We remember what hanging chads were in the presidential election. That was the year that the final original Peanuts cartoon strip by Charles Shultz was published. That was the year of the “Y2K” scare. To make it more relevant to our soon to be graduates who are here today; it was also the year that Willow Smith, the young entertainer who is the daughter of Will and Jada Pinkett Smith, and Willow Shields of The Hunger Games were born.
The reason I’m telling you all this, is because you may not remember what I say today, but throughout life, what we often remember, are events and occasions. For instance there are occasions of joy, or sadness, occasions of remembrance, and reflection. And believe it or not, today marks one of those types of occasions. This is a time in your life that you’ll never forget. You may not know it now, but your parents do. And I would bet that over the next few days your parents are going to be doing some of that remembering and reflecting. Remembering the day you were born, or your first loose tooth, or maybe your first day of school. They might be remembering how their hair began to show a bit more white or grey as you get older.
Yeah, you’re helping to cause that! But here are ten things I hope you do remember as you get older and continue with school…
1. Play a sport….it will teach you to win gracefully and lose honorably.
2. Learn to play an instrument…
3. Take pride in your appearance.
4. Respect does matter, especially to those who are older than you. Saying things like No ma’am and Yes sir count.
5. Peer pressure is real. Consider very carefully who you will follow.
6. Be kind…the Golden Rule will never fail you.
7. Don’t be a bully…those you hurt now might one day be your boss.
8. Have a sense of humor…learn to laugh at yourself.
9. Don’t be afraid to give credit to others…humility is, regrettably, a dying virtue.
10. Treat your education seriously…a high school diploma is important and it’s not too early to think about college. Proverbs says “Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life.”
And if I might add more thought, don’t be in too big a hurry to grow up. It’s overrated.
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Guardrails
Let me ask you a question. How many of us get real close to that line of doing something we know is wrong and try to push it as close as we can without actually crossing over it? Hey, I've been there. Many times.
It is because of my on shortcomings that we've begun a new series at Lawson Baptist entitled Guardrails to help us from straying over into areas that are off-limits. Andy Stanley wrote a book on this topic that spoke directly to me and I'm sure has affected most others, as well.
Guardrails are those things that are installed in areas of roadways to keep us from getting into those areas that could be dangerous. They serve as a warning. The theory behind guardrails is that you do less damage to your body, and even in some cases, to your car, if you hit the guardrail rather than what is on the other side of it.
For our purposes in this study, a guardrail is a standard of behavior that becomes a matter of conscience so that when we veer off in a direction we know is not pleasing to God, a warning is activated to keep us going straight.
In the coming weeks the messages will touch on topics such as marriage, relationships, friendships and even our time. Every member of the family will benefit from this series.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:15 to "Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise, but as wise." In other words, to live life with our eyes wide open knowing that Satan is eager to detour your path from God's intention. When we follw Satan's direction, that's when we wreck and it can be very difficult to fix the mess we've made. God says, "I want to rescue you. I don't want to keep you from something good, I want to rescue you from something bad."
For now, think on this: You know there is an area in your life where you are dancing on the yellow line and you need to back up a few feet and set a standard that says, "I'm not going there."
Join us Sunday mornings at 11 o'clock. You need a guardrail in your life.
It is because of my on shortcomings that we've begun a new series at Lawson Baptist entitled Guardrails to help us from straying over into areas that are off-limits. Andy Stanley wrote a book on this topic that spoke directly to me and I'm sure has affected most others, as well.
Guardrails are those things that are installed in areas of roadways to keep us from getting into those areas that could be dangerous. They serve as a warning. The theory behind guardrails is that you do less damage to your body, and even in some cases, to your car, if you hit the guardrail rather than what is on the other side of it.
For our purposes in this study, a guardrail is a standard of behavior that becomes a matter of conscience so that when we veer off in a direction we know is not pleasing to God, a warning is activated to keep us going straight.
In the coming weeks the messages will touch on topics such as marriage, relationships, friendships and even our time. Every member of the family will benefit from this series.
Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:15 to "Be very careful, then, how you live, not as unwise, but as wise." In other words, to live life with our eyes wide open knowing that Satan is eager to detour your path from God's intention. When we follw Satan's direction, that's when we wreck and it can be very difficult to fix the mess we've made. God says, "I want to rescue you. I don't want to keep you from something good, I want to rescue you from something bad."
For now, think on this: You know there is an area in your life where you are dancing on the yellow line and you need to back up a few feet and set a standard that says, "I'm not going there."
Join us Sunday mornings at 11 o'clock. You need a guardrail in your life.
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
Blessed is the Nation
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people He chose for His inheritance. From heaven the Lord looks down and sees all mankind, from His dwelling place He watches all who live on earth, He who forms the hearts of all, who considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength." - Psalm 33:12-16
Our nation turns 236 years old today. She's been through a lot of changes, seen a lot turmoil and survived many a battle. Through it all, God has had His mighty hand on this great land.
I often fear that we as inhabitants of this country have been taking it for granted. As the Psalmist said, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" but many have proclaimed that America is not a Christian nation. I understand that many other religious beliefs are practiced here, but it's because of such freedoms we have that make this nation great. More and more Christians are being viewed as intolerant, narrow-minded people. We simply love them enough that we want them to know the One who has blessed us.
We should not forget those who paid the price for the privileges we enjoy. Sons and daughters who left the comfort of home, left concerned and loving parents, to sacrifice their lives for ours. Even today, while many are enjoying a day off from work, our soldiers are on the line right now willing to put themselves in harms way for us. God bless them.
We wonder why America may be experiencing problems in recent years, why so many other countries want harm to befall us. Then maybe we need to revisit another passage from God's Holy Word.
The second book of Chronicles tells us, "...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
God is willing to restore America to its former glory and bless us richly if we, as God's people, will bow before Him. Let's swallow our pride America. He's waiting.
NOTE: This Sunday we begin a new series aimed primarily at the family. God has placed guardrails in our lives to warn us not to stray into dangerous territory. This six-part series is to help us recognize and heed those warnings before we get into trouble. Hope to see you.
Our nation turns 236 years old today. She's been through a lot of changes, seen a lot turmoil and survived many a battle. Through it all, God has had His mighty hand on this great land.
I often fear that we as inhabitants of this country have been taking it for granted. As the Psalmist said, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord" but many have proclaimed that America is not a Christian nation. I understand that many other religious beliefs are practiced here, but it's because of such freedoms we have that make this nation great. More and more Christians are being viewed as intolerant, narrow-minded people. We simply love them enough that we want them to know the One who has blessed us.
We should not forget those who paid the price for the privileges we enjoy. Sons and daughters who left the comfort of home, left concerned and loving parents, to sacrifice their lives for ours. Even today, while many are enjoying a day off from work, our soldiers are on the line right now willing to put themselves in harms way for us. God bless them.
We wonder why America may be experiencing problems in recent years, why so many other countries want harm to befall us. Then maybe we need to revisit another passage from God's Holy Word.
The second book of Chronicles tells us, "...if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."
God is willing to restore America to its former glory and bless us richly if we, as God's people, will bow before Him. Let's swallow our pride America. He's waiting.
NOTE: This Sunday we begin a new series aimed primarily at the family. God has placed guardrails in our lives to warn us not to stray into dangerous territory. This six-part series is to help us recognize and heed those warnings before we get into trouble. Hope to see you.
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
The Big Five-Something
This morning I woke up feeling no different than I did when I went to sleep the night before. But something did happen. I awakened another year older. It's no big deal and except for the date on the calendar, it's just another day. As that great sage, Satchel Paige, once said, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you was?"
However, these pesky annual events do have a way of creeping up on you. I heard about a woman who was more athletically inclined than her husband and frequently would engage in biking, canoeing, and other strenuous activities. When her husband hit sixty, he came inside after a hard day of yard work and collapsed into his easy chair, bemoaning the aches and pains of his advancing age.
Attempting to comfort him, his wife reminded him that when they were newlyweds, they had looked forward to growing old together.
"Yes," he replied, "but you haven't kept your end of the bargain."
Someone once said that middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
I am convinced, though, that as long as we draw breath, God has a purpose for us. We are to be about His business until we are called to stand before Him. The Roman scholar Cato started to study Greek when he was over eighty years old. Someone asked him why he tackled such a difficult task at his age. Cato replied, "It's the earliest age I have left."
On October 16, 1995, Jeanne Calment of Paris was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records by becoming the oldest human on record - over 120 years of age. She was born in 1875, a year before the telephone was invented.
Jeanne remembered the construction of the Eiffel Tower and remembered selling colored pencils to the famed Vincent Van Gogh. She survived twenty-seven French presidents during her life. When asked, "What's the secret to your long life?" she responded, "Laughter!"
It's no wonder the Bible tells us in Proverbs 17:22 that "a cheerful heart is good medicine."
Besides, part of my motivation is to live long enough to be a problem to my children!
However, these pesky annual events do have a way of creeping up on you. I heard about a woman who was more athletically inclined than her husband and frequently would engage in biking, canoeing, and other strenuous activities. When her husband hit sixty, he came inside after a hard day of yard work and collapsed into his easy chair, bemoaning the aches and pains of his advancing age.
Attempting to comfort him, his wife reminded him that when they were newlyweds, they had looked forward to growing old together.
"Yes," he replied, "but you haven't kept your end of the bargain."
Someone once said that middle age is when broadness of the mind and narrowness of the waist change places.
I am convinced, though, that as long as we draw breath, God has a purpose for us. We are to be about His business until we are called to stand before Him. The Roman scholar Cato started to study Greek when he was over eighty years old. Someone asked him why he tackled such a difficult task at his age. Cato replied, "It's the earliest age I have left."
On October 16, 1995, Jeanne Calment of Paris was inducted into the Guinness Book of World Records by becoming the oldest human on record - over 120 years of age. She was born in 1875, a year before the telephone was invented.
Jeanne remembered the construction of the Eiffel Tower and remembered selling colored pencils to the famed Vincent Van Gogh. She survived twenty-seven French presidents during her life. When asked, "What's the secret to your long life?" she responded, "Laughter!"
It's no wonder the Bible tells us in Proverbs 17:22 that "a cheerful heart is good medicine."
Besides, part of my motivation is to live long enough to be a problem to my children!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
A Fun Faith
If you know me at all, you know I love baseball. I am a die hard Texas Ranger fan and to be honest I may have lost a year or two from my normal lifespan watching the past two World Series'. I mean, why couldn't Nelson Cruz have been playing just a couple of steps deeper?!! Sorry, I got sidetracked.
I recently came across some interesting baseball trivia that I found fascinating. For instance...
*The odds of a fan being hit by a baseball are 300,000 to one. It's almost the same odds as catching a Josh Hamilton bat!
*The average baseball only lasts about a week. Each baseball is used only one time in a major league baseball game.
*Early rules allowed the hitter to request a high or low pitch.
*Manager Alvin Dark of the San Francisco Giants once told reporters that NASA would put a man on the moon before pitcher Gaylord Perry hit a home run. When Perry finally hit a home run, it was 20 minutes after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon.
*Each baseball game has 12,386,344 possible plays.
I really find that last bit of information especially insightful. I hear critics of the game complain that it's too boring. But to understand that there are over 12 million different possible plays is incredible.
It's the same with life. There are so many different things that can happen in our lives. I can look back on some of my decisions and wonder what would have happened had I chosen another route. I certainly don't know what awaits me around the next corner, but I can't wait to see what the Lord has awaiting.
We are told in Acts 20:22,24 "I don't know what awaits me...But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."
In fact, none of us really know what lies ahead. We are instructed to have faith that, whatever is around the next bend, God has the situation fully in His hand. Life has its share of uncertainty, but know this, God sees things around that corner long before we get to it. Let's have faith to drive on.
I recently came across some interesting baseball trivia that I found fascinating. For instance...
*The odds of a fan being hit by a baseball are 300,000 to one. It's almost the same odds as catching a Josh Hamilton bat!
*The average baseball only lasts about a week. Each baseball is used only one time in a major league baseball game.
*Early rules allowed the hitter to request a high or low pitch.
*Manager Alvin Dark of the San Francisco Giants once told reporters that NASA would put a man on the moon before pitcher Gaylord Perry hit a home run. When Perry finally hit a home run, it was 20 minutes after Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon.
*Each baseball game has 12,386,344 possible plays.
I really find that last bit of information especially insightful. I hear critics of the game complain that it's too boring. But to understand that there are over 12 million different possible plays is incredible.
It's the same with life. There are so many different things that can happen in our lives. I can look back on some of my decisions and wonder what would have happened had I chosen another route. I certainly don't know what awaits me around the next corner, but I can't wait to see what the Lord has awaiting.
We are told in Acts 20:22,24 "I don't know what awaits me...But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus - the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God."
In fact, none of us really know what lies ahead. We are instructed to have faith that, whatever is around the next bend, God has the situation fully in His hand. Life has its share of uncertainty, but know this, God sees things around that corner long before we get to it. Let's have faith to drive on.
Wednesday, June 13, 2012
A Hero
I think I may have found a new hero. I've had many heroes in my past. The first I remember was Batman when I was a child. You know, Adam West. The origianal Batman from the television show. Soon Spiderman caught my attention on Saturday morning cartoons. Soon it was on to sports stars...Bart Starr, John Havlicek, and to this day I consider Ted Williams the greatest baseball player of all time.
But a whole new genre of hero has emerged. His name is Dave Alexander who in sports terms is an ironman. In other words, he competes in triathalons. These are the guys that bicycle several miles followed by a long swim, topped off with a marathon run.
You would notice Dave. He's 5-foot-8, 260 pounds, not exactly but the body size of these super athletes. I can identify with him in at least one respect. Even though I've never come close to completing even one leg of a triathalon, he resembles me in the size department. I've often said that I have the body of a 19-year old. I'm just stretching the heck out of it.
Alexander has estimated that he's finished close to 300 triathalons, causing his doctor to scratch his head in disbelief. Dave is 65-years old, has thinning hair, failing eyesight and his stomach gets bigger by the day. Still, he is still "fit" despite his chunky size.
He attributes his endurance to persistence. At one time he was completing two triathalons a week. A hero if ever I saw one.
We all have our heroes. Young people today tend to think of entertainers, older guys may look to military figures or someone they may have known.
Whoever is your hero, I hope Dad is on the list, hopefully at the top. We need dedicated Dads, Fathers who will set a positive example for their children. We need a Dad who loves his wife, who leads the family spiritually, and is the rock of the home.
Proverbs 13:1 says a wise son heeds his father's advise. We would be wise to listen to Dad,or if he has gone on to be with the Lord, to remember what he told us. And always listen to your Heavenly Father.
But a whole new genre of hero has emerged. His name is Dave Alexander who in sports terms is an ironman. In other words, he competes in triathalons. These are the guys that bicycle several miles followed by a long swim, topped off with a marathon run.
You would notice Dave. He's 5-foot-8, 260 pounds, not exactly but the body size of these super athletes. I can identify with him in at least one respect. Even though I've never come close to completing even one leg of a triathalon, he resembles me in the size department. I've often said that I have the body of a 19-year old. I'm just stretching the heck out of it.
Alexander has estimated that he's finished close to 300 triathalons, causing his doctor to scratch his head in disbelief. Dave is 65-years old, has thinning hair, failing eyesight and his stomach gets bigger by the day. Still, he is still "fit" despite his chunky size.
He attributes his endurance to persistence. At one time he was completing two triathalons a week. A hero if ever I saw one.
We all have our heroes. Young people today tend to think of entertainers, older guys may look to military figures or someone they may have known.
Whoever is your hero, I hope Dad is on the list, hopefully at the top. We need dedicated Dads, Fathers who will set a positive example for their children. We need a Dad who loves his wife, who leads the family spiritually, and is the rock of the home.
Proverbs 13:1 says a wise son heeds his father's advise. We would be wise to listen to Dad,or if he has gone on to be with the Lord, to remember what he told us. And always listen to your Heavenly Father.
Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Weird Facts
I recently came across some strange things you probably didn't know. For example...
Did you know that butterflies taste with their feet?
A duck's quack doesn't echo and no one knows why.
On average, 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year.
Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
It's possible to lead a cow upstairs, but not downstairs.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
It's physically impossible for you to lick your elbow.
Almost everyone who just read the previous fact will try to lick their elbow.
These are some very interesting facts but not things you really have to know. Well, you may want to rethink sticking that ink pen in your mouth!
Here's the thing that you REALLY need to know. Do you know beyond a shadow of doubt that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Do you know that if your time on this earth were to end in the next five minutes, in the next five seconds, that you would spend eternity in the presence of the Lord? Eternity is a long time to be wrong.
Yet, so many people are walking around with the assumption that just because they may go to church, that they live a good, moral life, that they are good to go come judgement day. Jesus tells us in John 10:9, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved."
In other words, there is no back door to heaven. It is only through the shed blood of Christ. We cannot work our way into heaven, we cannot wish our way into heaven, we cannot wiggle our way into heaven by adopting values and attitudes thrown on us by what today's culture endorses or what "religions" try to preach to us as being comparable to the example given us by Christ. In verse 14 we are told, "I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep..."
Will He recognize you as one of His flock?
Did you know that butterflies taste with their feet?
A duck's quack doesn't echo and no one knows why.
On average, 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year.
Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
It's possible to lead a cow upstairs, but not downstairs.
Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
It's physically impossible for you to lick your elbow.
Almost everyone who just read the previous fact will try to lick their elbow.
These are some very interesting facts but not things you really have to know. Well, you may want to rethink sticking that ink pen in your mouth!
Here's the thing that you REALLY need to know. Do you know beyond a shadow of doubt that you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Do you know that if your time on this earth were to end in the next five minutes, in the next five seconds, that you would spend eternity in the presence of the Lord? Eternity is a long time to be wrong.
Yet, so many people are walking around with the assumption that just because they may go to church, that they live a good, moral life, that they are good to go come judgement day. Jesus tells us in John 10:9, "I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved."
In other words, there is no back door to heaven. It is only through the shed blood of Christ. We cannot work our way into heaven, we cannot wish our way into heaven, we cannot wiggle our way into heaven by adopting values and attitudes thrown on us by what today's culture endorses or what "religions" try to preach to us as being comparable to the example given us by Christ. In verse 14 we are told, "I am the good shepherd, I know my sheep..."
Will He recognize you as one of His flock?
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