It STINKS!!!

Now that Team FCC Honduras is safe back in the States I can’t help but reflect on our time away. It is evident that God did not just call the 15 individuals who traveled to Honduras but it was the collaboration of hard work and selfless acts from an entire faith family, our denomination, another congregation, CASM (the local agency in Honduras) and many others. But it is important to know a little bit about those who actually made the trip. There was some who were in a very dark season of their life. Some were struggling with relationships, financial stress, work place overload, and anxiety. There were some who were searching for direction and discernment in their life and in their faith. There were some representing the next generation of God’s servants who stepped up to serve God with a new sense of conviction, enthusiasm, and vibrant energy. There were some of an older generation who did not let their physical limitation keep them from experiencing doing missions. There where parents who were busting with pride as they got the opportunity to see their children live out their faith in a very relevant way. There were some who left their young children behind for the first time to step out of their comfort zone to do something that would change a stranger’s life forever. Then there was a close to burned out, grey haired, fat minister who made a ton of promises. He promised a lot of money would be raised, travel would be safe,(not comfortable but safe) and if the group would be open to God’s spirit, they would witness and experience the Holy presence of God like they have never experienced before. While we are fresh off the journey and have not had enough time to process it all it was a journey of faith.

I am reminded of what James, whom some scholars believe was the brother of Jesus, writes about how do we are to “do” our faith. James writes: “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves and their religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:26-27

James reminds us that we are not only to use our words but our actions to take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. Team FCC Honduras’ mission was to traveled to Copan Ruinas Honduras to build stoves, that we did, but God had another unforeseen plan for us. On Sunday we visited Angelitos Felices. When we arrived at Angelitos Felices the first thing that hit us was the stench. A repulsive smell that made everyone’s stomach turn. Angelitos Felices is a home for children who have been abandoned because their parents were no longer capable of taking care of them. The group stood nervously at the door while the mass group of children took their seats. We lingered in the door way because of the stench. With over 24 young children and one or two adults to care for them one can imagine the amount of help needed to keep the children clean. Just by mere ratio of children to adults changing diapers is constant. There are children who at the age of two or three found themselves on the streets, abandoned, thrown out like garbage and having to fend for themselves. The children were not use to physical contact with anyone. Then it began to change. It began with a hug, a song, a round to two of the Hooky Pokey, as we began to intermingle their smiles began to rain down on us like a hurricane. They began to embrace us, hug on us, climb on us. You could not give out enough love to curb their enthusiasm. Then the stench was miraculously gone. Was it because we loved them or because they loved us? But for a brief time something mystical, magical, and indescribable happened. I believe it was a brief glimpse of the kingdom of God.

That was how our week began. Our week ended by returning to Angelitos Felices. We fixed their broken beds, brought some sheets, Dr. Rhonda examined all the children, and we took them on a picnic. For that day they got to be regular children and we got to be parents. Nothing we did was big but children and adults sharing an acceptance and unconditional love. Strangers up until that week but now connected forever in our hearts. What about that repulsive smell?

I will never forget that smell because I believe Christ doesn’t want me too. If you study the life of Christ you will notice that Jesus tolerated the rich at best but was drawn, went out of his way, to be with the poor. Christ’s heart was with those who by no fault of their own cannot take care of themselves. I strongly believe that in the stench, Christ was saying poverty stinks, abandonment reeks, and neglect is repulsive. It stinks that there are so many precious people in this world who have so little when I have so much. It stinks. But it is in the stench is where we find Jesus. Many times it is in the most undesirable conditions we find the unconditional love. In the most remote place we find our glimpse of God’s kingdom here on earth. There at Angelitos Felices, which is translated as Happy Angels, we will never know if it was the love we gave the children or the love the children gave to us be we are sure without a doubt we felt a love, peace, hope, and joy like nothing here on this earth. Maybe it is in that place where we find God’s happy angels in the form of children at the place where my hearts longs to return.

Shalom, Tommy

After the 2012 Election is OVER, NOW What?

In the aftermath of last night’s election results I have been called to respond in some way. The results of the election on exactly who holds the office of president of the United States does not have to be the totality of the outcome. Here are just some thoughts I have taken away from this year’s electoral season.

The 2012 election and any election is just a season. The reality of the process of any election is that it takes division to become victorious. One side must recruit, persuade, or manipulate you into thinking not only that their way is the best but the other side is dangerous. Please remember that this is only one season. Seasons come and go. People will get on with their daily lives, going to work, paying taxes, and raising their families. Those that are celebrating in victory, your elation will quickly pass. Those who are experiencing the agony of defeat, this too will change. There will be other elections, other candidates, other pressing issues, and other times of division so do not let this brief moment in time define who we are as a nation.

Relationships are always more important than votes or candidates. Yesterday I had a choice of casting just one vote for one of two gentlemen. I had to choose between two people whom I do not know personally, have never met, nor will I probably ever meet on a personal level. The two candidates were presented to me and I chose one that was the closest in line with my ideology, my theology, my ethical decision making, and my moral compass. Honestly neither was a perfect or ideal fit, so I chose the one closest to my own beliefs. It doesn’t mean if someone voted for the other that they are any less intelligent, compassionate, or informed than I am. It simply means, given a choice between the two, they choose differently. I cannot think of one person I would want to be president that would cost me a friendship or strain a relationship I had with anyone. Presidents come and go, they will be judged for their actions by our Creator just like I will. Win or lose I pray people can begin to repair any relationships that was damaged or strained during this electoral season. If one’s truly goal is the betterment of our country, we must be able to look past the office of president and into the eyes of our friends and family and begin to heal. We must be willing to mend relationships if we are going to heal our nation.

The outcome of any election has no relevance to my faith in God. I strongly believe whether my candidate won or lost the outcome has no influence what so ever on my relationship with Christ. In my practice of faith, for me, Christ does not tell me to vote for one guy or the other but he does call me to be compassionate, merciful, understanding, and open to all His children. If my dude won last night it doesn’t mean God loves me more than another. If my guy lost, it doesn’t mean God loves or favors me any less. Simply put, it was two political parties that went head to head in one election, not two religions. What does have an impact on my relationship with God is how I act moving forward. Do I gloat and put down my neighbor because I somehow feel victorious? Do I spread doom and fear to those around me because my guy lost? Jesus didn’t tell me to vote, he told me to love. My faith is strengthened only if I continue to love, not vote.

The day after an election tells more about the resolve, freedom, strength and unity of a nation than a leader they elected. As a nation, do we stay divided or come together to make our a better place to live. If we are to be strengthened as a nation we must work to make this a better place for everyone. We must continue to keep our elected official accountable but also not just throw insults because our team lost. We should first and foremost all want the best for our country, demand the best out of our leaders, but also do our best to make our own neighborhood a better place to live. We must be an example to our children and future generations as they are watching, learning, and will repeat our behavior and attitudes. Remember our children and grandchildren are reading our Facebook statuses, Tweeter post, and blogs and setting their moral compass by what we do. What better lesson we have the opportunity to teach our future citizens than unity after division, collaboration after competition, and resolve after battle. We all want the same thing and many times our most furious rival can become our best teammate.

I would like to be remembered by who I am as a person, husband, father, and pastor. In the totality of my life, I pray that I was able to make someone else life better. My goals and calling in life is to leave this world a little better than when I entered. For me, I am called by God and given a vision of how to carry that out each and every day. Each day God brings me opportunities to live out my purpose. I get to meet incrediable new people, I get the warmth of a hug, I get to share a prayer with someone who is struggling, I get to blesss children, join couples in marriage, and honor and celebrate the lives of those who have died, and comfort their loved ones. At the end of the day, I will find my peace, my joy, and my satisfaction on how well I lived that out each day and not who I voted for in a presidential election in 2012. End the end, with God’s help; I honestly feel I can bring about more change than someone that holds an elected office. So join with me in repairing any relationships damaged during this election, remember it’s only a brief season, live you faith not your politics and we all well be fine.
Peace, Love & Happiness:
Tommy

Righteous Anger

Last week we kicked off our sermon series Seeing Red. We acknowledged that anger is present in everyone life. It can pop up sometimes without warning and have damaging effects. Luckily the Bible has a lot to say about anger.  Last week we outline five characteristics of anger. If you remember they were: Anger is not always bad. Anger makes us acceptable to greater dangers. Anger makes us do foolish things. Anger never produces what we hope it will. Anger is our own punishment.

Today we are going to look at the first one: Anger is not always bad. We are going to explore righteous anger. There are things in our life that should make us angry. Righteous anger can be defined simple as what makes God made should make us mad. We serve a God who created us, knows us, and loves us so whatever makes God angry should make us angry as well. Righteous anger however is never anger towards another person but only anger towards the problem. Because when we are mad at a problem we will be forced, moved, inspired to take action.

It’s no secret that I am a University of Memphis Tiger fan both football and basketball. Like all college sports we have our rivalries. I think every college team has them. But for Memphis in football it is Ole Miss, for you non southerners, Ole Miss is the University of Mississippi.  Ole Miss is less than an hour drive from the Memphis; they recruit in the Memphis area for players. Great High School football players go to Alabama, LSU, or UT. That leaves Memphis and Ole Miss to fight for the rest. Memphis fans dislike Ole Miss Fans. When Will was about four, we are at the game and Will is front row right behind the Ole Miss bench Will screams, “You Stink” every time they came off the field.  It was one of those moments where I was in front of them like, “Will don’t say that.” And then as soon as they leave I’m like “That’s my boy.” See the problem was not anger at the player from Ole Miss, it was anger at the problem of two opposing teams who compete in recruiting. Or the problem was a father taking college football to an unhealthy level. It’s not the person that causes us anger, it’s the problem. So what makes God anger? Simply put it is injustices.

There are two distinct kinds of injustices that make God angry and that should make us angry as well. First are universal injustices.  Those are things in our world that happen that should as follows of God should make us angry. Some people in our faith community have questioned me and my integrity of why are we spending all this money for a mission trip to Honduras. The risk of death for women during childbirth is nine times the rate in the United States.  One in every 40 children dies before their fifth birthday, triple the U.S. rate. One in 50 children dies before their first birthday, almost three times the U.S. rate. In Honduras 70% of the people are illiterate. Most children work in the field to help provide income. That should make you angry because these are children of God who did not ask to be born there. In our own city of Centralia, 1 in 6 kids are food insecure. Being Food insecure simple means lack of access to enough food to fully meet basic needs at all times. Education. Kids in our community don’t have what they need to succeed in academics. Our kids are hurting and struggling and we automatically want to get mad at the teachers, the teachers get mad at the parents, and the kids just don’t want to go to school. Instead of getting mad at a person, righteous anger gets mad at the problem. 

The second kinds of injustices are personal injustices. These are things that happen to us on a person level. Addictions, alcoholism, physical and emotional abuse are things we witness and we like God should become angry at the problem, not always focused on the person. I want to be perfectly clear here, getting mad at the problem does not in no means automatically relinquish anyone from the responsibility of their actions caused by the problem. We have all witnessed how addictions have torn families apart and damaged innocent children that have lived it. We have all seen how specially in divorce people choose sides and blame the person, not the problem that caused the marriage to end. We must at time must zoom out and not focus all our attention on the person but look at the overall problem.

 So how do we know if our anger is righteous? The litmus test to see if our anger is righteous or is our anger is in line with Gods is three distinct characteristics.

Righteous anger is always, always anger under control. Proverbs 29:22 “An angry person stirs up conflict, and a hot-tempered person commits many sins.” Because God created us, knows us, and loves us, God knows that deep inside of us, in real life, in real time, there is this thing called vengeance. You did something to me, buddy, I am going to do something more to you. It boils up side of us and we do things, say things, or plot ways to get back.  If our anger is not under control, we start conflict, we commit many sins, we do things that are not pleasing in the eye of God or others who are watching us.

Righteous anger motivates us when others are mistreated. James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” Over and over again throughout scripture Jesus tells us over and over again to look after the orphans and widows. You know what that means. Don’t just be listeners but be doers. You know what orphans and widows means. Jesus says anyone who can’t take care of themselves. In my life I have gotten into some stuff because I cannot just stand by when anyone who cannot defend themselves are being abused, taken advantage off or mistreated.

Righteous anger is motivated by the right reasons. Last week I stated that many times anger can be wrapped around the statement of “I’m not getting what I want.” Because we have this selfishness about us. Whenever anything is done in our life, in our faith community we say through our words, actions, and attitudes, “What am I going to get out of it.” When we have righteous anger, anger like God’s, we have selfless. It doesn’t matter if it will get us something down the road, it doesn’t matter if we get recognized, and it doesn’t matter if it will benefit us. Here is where God is going to mature us as a faith community. Genesis 1: 27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Did you get this? You were created in God’s image. That means we are all created equally. We are created equally. Equally! God created each of us equally. That means in the eyes of God it doesn’t matter where we live, how much money we make, it doesn’t matter what race we are, or what language we speak, or what country we might have been born in. God hearts breaks whenever He sees his people in pain. I got to hear Eli Wessel speak; his is a Holocaust survivor and wrote the book called Night.  He said the true tragedy of the Holocaust was not that over 6 million Jews were slaughtered. It was the fact that 6 million Jews were slaughtered and no one cared. The greatest sin is indifference. God hearts breaks even more when He sees us witness people in pain, when we see people hurting, hungry, and broken and we do nothing about it. Then God’s righteous anger is turn towards us. When our anger is under control, when anger motivates us when others are mistreated, when anger inspires us into action for the right reasons, we then can make a difference and attack the problem. Maybe the problem is not that we get angry, maybe the problem is not that our anger is not righteous, maybe the problem is we get angry and do nothing..

Pray for me and I’ll pray for you..

Tommy

Why Anger?

We are going to spend a lot of time talking about anger, so much time as you may get angry at week after week we keep talking about anger and you will be wanting to move on. So to start off here is why I believe it is important and we need to spend a good amount of time on it. Anger is one of those things that pop up in our lives, sometimes expected, sometimes unexpected. The Bible has a lot to say about anger in our lives. It is ironic how anger shows up in all of our lives in weird ways. Anger is drives and fueled by the core values each of us hold. Some are small, dog eats you favorite pairs of shoes. Some are big someone betrays you, threatens you or you witness abuse in some way. No matter how big or how little depending on our personality and temperament, each of us has a different response to anger. Some people are criers. When they get angry the tears begin to flow. Others of us shut down, the silent treatment, clam up. Some of us become loud, and say or do things we would never do if we were not angry. Some people are slammers, doors, objects; whatever is close takes the brunt of their anger. And last but not least some become physically violent and very inappropriately. Jails are full of men and women who cannot control their anger.
Everyone experiences anger, everyone handles anger differently and each of us handles anger differently according to the circumstances or timing. The Good news is the Bible has a lot to say on the issue of anger. This morning we are going to lay out five thoughts or ideas according to scripture about issues of anger.

1. Anger is not always bad. Anger can mean that something is not right, expectations are not being met. Turn with we to Ephesians 4:26 “In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry”. Notice the Bible does not say do not get angry. It says “in your anger.” The Holy Word of God acknowledges that there will be times when you are going to get angry. But there is a difference between being angry and sinning. James 1:19 “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” Anger in its self is not a bad thing but when handled in the wrong way, that is when it can lead to bad things.

2. Anger makes us acceptable to greater dangers. Anger can cause us to do or say things we wish we could take back the nanosecond they occur. Proverbs 25:28 “Like a city whose walls are broken through is a person who lacks self-control.” The image here is that our self-control is like a wall around a city, the thing that protects us, it comes crumbling down and we will be exposed to things we never been exposed to before, we will cross boundaries and lines in our life we never ever intended to cross. Anger is the gateway. My last mission trip to Honduras did not go as planned. I had promised Abby for her 16th birthday she and I would go to Honduras on a mission trip. All was well until we actually landed and approached customs. Abby had gone through with the group, I went to go through, the lady smiled and took my passport and left, they would not let me through. They took my luggage as I stood over to the side as everyone else on the flight went through. So I am standing there at customs, my passport has been taken, the group has already gone into the country, I can see the group, and they are not letting me through. I begin to go from laughter, confusion, to anger. So here comes this little 4’6’ man in a suit. You know it’s serious when the suit guy comes. He tells me I can’t go with my daughter into the country. I can see Abby crying and I am livid. Seeing all shades of red. Someone somewhere was going to pay. I could crush this little dude with one punch and go on into the country. I felt extremely violated in some way. Anger in our life is really a wall around one statement: “I am not getting what I want.” When we begin to dissect anger in our lives, the majority of the time it comes down to: “I am not getting what I want.”

3. Anger makes us do foolish things. Ecclesiastes 7:9 “Do not be quickly provoked in your spirit, for anger resides in the lap of fools.” Anger makes us do foolish things. I am not going to spend a lot of time here because each of us has done or said some foolish things out of anger. Its like the breaks from our mind to our mouths stop working. As the little 4 foot dude in the suit, looks at my passport, looks at me, I’m sure I look vicious as I’m red with anger, He shakes his head, “No!” I might not know Spanish but at this moment I know I’m not getting in the country. I see my daughter crying, I am busting with anger, remember I can take this dude with on punch, I know it, instead I say in my louder that already loud voice, “You are crazy, you are a evil person.” That is when the guys with guns showed up and took me to another room. They put me in time out. Here is why.

4. Anger never produces what we hope it will. James 1:20 “because human anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.” Anger never leads us to where we hope to go. Getting mad, didn’t let the little dude in the suit go,” Ok senior you are anger, sure come on into our country.” Doing foolish things out of anger never leads us closer to God. Doing foolish things out of anger never leads us to be a better spouse, a better job, a better boss. We are never better parents because we acted out of anger. We are not better church members when we allow ourselves to speak out of anger. Acting out of anger never leads to the righteous life God wants for us. I got put on a plane to New Jersey, snowed in in New Jersey, but eventually I return home back to Centralia. It wasn’t the journey I wanted but the results were the same. I left Centralia, traveled to Honduras, and returned home. But my journey was not what I imagined. Anger is like that. It is not that you can’t complete the trip, its just it is harder, takes longer, and is further to get to the destination you were trying to get to. So when we parent out of anger, it is not that you won’t get the result you want, your just adding time, to the journey you are taking your kids on. When we lead out of anger there are these unexpected circumstances that come because feelings get hurt, relationships get severed, respect gets lost, the wall of self-control goes down and anger has influenced how we are leading and managing our lives.

5. Anger is our own punishment. Proverbs 19:19 A hot-tempered person must pay the penalty; rescue them, and you will have to do it again. A hot tempered person has to pay the penalty. Simple put when we live out of anger there will be a price to pay. When we act out of anger maybe that price is a severed relationship, yes the relationship can survive but it will never be the same. Maybe the price is distance between someone we love. Maybe the punishment comes in the form of a loss of respect, hurt feelings, regrets, embarrassment, we have all been there, but when we act out of anger there will be a price to pay. I didn’t get to share Abby’s first mission trip experience, but in November with others from our faith family, I’ll get another shot.

My prayer for the next five weeks is that God through the power of the Holy Spirit will do some work on your heart. It starts now. I want you beginning today to be aware of when and how you are getting angry. Be conscious of when and how you get angry. Where are those moments that get you angry. When angry rises up pause, rise above your anger and ask yourself why. Why am I angry? Why did that upset me? Why did that tone of voice upset me? Why does that person or this situation get you angry? Pause and ask yourself “What is it that I want, that I’m not getting” that causes me to get angry.
During this series I strongly believe God is going to do a lot of maturing of us as individuals and as a faith community. I believe that if you and I give God permission to do what He wants to do, that is put a light on those areas, this is how we get better, this is how we grow, it’s not complicated, it’s simple saying, : “God, I’m open, help me get better.” Help me to live an examined life.If we do that God will show up is some weird and crazy ways in our life. We will begin to see life changing stuff. Marriages, relationships, distances closed. Ife change will happen.

Some of us here have hurt someone out of anger and there is a distance intentionally or unintentionally. But there is a distance between a parent and child, a coworker, a family member, a spouse. Some of you know exactly what that is and are feeling it on the inside. That is called a conviction. Not at condemnation, so own it. Some of us need to make a phone call, send a text, write a note of email, and simple say I’m sorry for the way I acted, I’m sorry for the thing I said and begin to let God do some healing in your life.

Pray for you, simple is this. “Lord, you have permission to show me those times and places where I have seen red and help me to dig my way out and restore what I have lost. Amen”

Seeing Red

Everywhere you look people are getting angry. It is a simple fact of life. I would challenge you to turn on the television, go to the grocery store or Walmart, (who hasn't seen a parent beat their kid in the Walmart)  or even read Facebook and something or someone will make you angry. Anger pops up in our lives both expected and unexpected. It can show it’s self in convenient and inconvenient times. It is funny how anger shows up in our lives in weird ways. Some are small like when you are in a hurry and there are hundreds of people in the checkout line and only one lane open. Some are bigger like situations when we feel we have been done wrong or hurt by someone or something. Anger is unavoidable in our lives. However because of our personalities and temperaments each of us has a different response to anger. Some people yell. The minute they get angry the tone and volume of their voice changes immediately. Others are criers. When they get angry they tend to tear up. Other people handle anger by totally shutting down, giving people the silent treatment, and totally avoiding the person or situation. Still others express anger physically my slamming doors, kicking or punching inanimate objects, or in unhealthy disastrous cases even lay hands on other people. Regardless of how we react, everyone experiences anger and everyone handles anger differently depending on the level of our anger and the situation. Wither we strive to avoid it, embrace it, or go looking for it anger is a part of our life.

The Good News is that the Bible has a lot to say about anger. In the next six weeks we will explore in our sermon series “Seeing Red” what the Bible has to say about anger. We will examine our own life to see the areas that cause us anger, how we handle anger, and areas where we can grow to be able to handle anger in healthy, productive, and constructive ways. If we are not careful anger can damage relationships, cause us to react inappropriately that can strain bonds between spouses, siblings, parents, and children. If we are not aware of the things and situations that cause us to get angry, anger can cause irreversible damage to both our relationships and health. Why is this sermon series important? Because anger has caused each of us to have done, said, or reacted out of anger in our lives that have caused us pain, hurt feelings, embarrassment, and a moment in our life where we hold regrets. If life has you “Seeing Red” join us as we explore what God has for you to avoid those times we regret our words, actions, or attitudes. Because life is too short to always be “Seeing Red.”
For those of you who can not attend or be apart of this sermon series I have been asked to post the written text here. Please note the written text and what is preached can be drastically different due to the interruption of the Holy Spirit..
See ya soon but until then take care of yourselves and one another.
Shalom,
Tommy

Big Miracles in Times of Crisis

One thing I have learned in my life is the simple fact that crisis is unavoidable in our life. One does not have to be very old to realize that crisis is not optional. Crisis comes without warning and affects our lives many times without warning or prior notice. Crisis will hit anyone at any time. Crisis in our lives are inevitable, unpredictable, and just part of life. When it comes to crisis in our life, we all make assumptions that crisis are bad. No one I have met has ever said, “Things are going awesome in my life, the only thing that is missing is a crisis. I need the wind knocked out of me, I need my faith tested, I could really use some tragedy, a painful time, and being stretched to my limits.”  It is in our human nature to assume that when we enter into a season of crisis that it will turn out bad. What if our assumptions are wrong?  What if there is a greater purpose to the crisis in our life?

When I think about the many crises I have endured in my life, I recall when God called us into ministry. I left a very well paying career to attend seminary and start my path towards ordination. While we drastically cut our expenses, some were unavoidable. We had two small children and struggled daily and we were broke. I mean counting out coins from the ashtray in the car to buy food, praying we didn’t have to drive far so our empty gas tank would last one more trip and paying just enough of the electricity bill to keep the light on. Needless to say the pressure of the crisis strained even the strongest of relationships all in the midst of the family sacrificing for me to go earn a graduate degree. Crisis even when we when following God’s call for us. While times were tough, when I look back now I see the crisis as not all bad. God provided for us. Without warning the church paid for childcare expenses, others invited us over to eat a lot, and day after day through the kindness and generosity of others we made it day to day.

The crisis was not all bad. We learned that family and not possessions are the most important things in life. We learned that when you follow God’s call it will not be easy, but He will not let you be destroyed. We learned lack of money is no excuse for not fueling romance, intimacy, and partnership in a marriage. We learned that no matter how alone you may feel in your crisis you are never alone God is with you and will provide sometimes in the most unusual and uncommon way.  We learned a new sense of joy whenever we have an opportunity to “pay it forward” and help out someone else. We learned faith is something that really can get you through to the next season and that love is the most valuable procession anyone of us can give to others as a gift. We learned the power of being a part of a faith family. In the midst of our crisis God provided miracle after miracle to get us to where we are now. God was not just providing miracles to get us through our financial crisis but was strengthening us and positioning us so God could put us in a position to help others. We know fully understand those others who struggle in crisis similar to us. We learned that no matter what the crisis is, it won’t last forever. Most importantly we learned that crisis is often the path to God’s big miracles in our life. May God bring you out of your crisis and into the miracle He has for you as God can make the impossible possible.
Peace, Love & Happiness
Tommy

Ten Lessons in Life I learned From Watching The Andy Griffith Show:

Reflecting on the recent death of Andy Griffith, it came to light ten life lessons I learned from watching the show. These lessons were slowing and unconsciously ingrained in me and shaped the way I navigate through life.  

1.       Enjoy your occupation. No matter what you do for a living, respect is earned not demanded. If you have respect your job is a lot easier.

2.       As with Earnest T Bass: Sometimes you have to do something crazy to get a girls attention.

3.       If you work with anyone who is incompetent, cover their mistakes and let them take credit. It will benefit you in the long run.

4.       Everyone has an Otis in their life. When they get drunk the first reaction is not to punish them but to keep them safe. Addiction is a disease not necessarily a crime.

5.       Life is too short not to stop whatever you’re doing to play a little bluegrass.

6.       Everyday can be a holiday, if you only sell moonshine on holidays and special occasions.

7.       It’s hard to be single parent, even if you have an Aunt Bea.

8.       Whenever serious crime hits you, first thing is to protect the ones you love.

9.       Whenever your children mess up, make it a teaching moment.

10.   Families should make eating together a top priority. It’s around the table values are formed, problems are solved, and information is shared. Not on Facebook.

Can you imagine what our world would look like if we had more Mayberry and less Jersey Shores?