The Value Of A Friend And Mentor

Three Sunday’s ago, our pastor invited Dr. Stacy Conner, his longtime friend and mentor to speak at our church. Dr. Conner had a commitment to be in the Austin area, and our pastor invited him to stay over and preach at our church. He wanted to gift the church with the benefit of hearing from a pastor who had been instrumental in helping shape his faith and who has gifted him with decades of encouragement and spiritual support. Always, there is a sense of reciprocity in those kinds of relationships.

We are fortunate if we have that kind of long-term friendship with someone. It doesn’t have to be a pastor, but a friend who has negotiated the ups and downs of life under the auspices of God’s leadership and one who continues to represent a stronghold of faith.  I can validate the importance of that kind of friendship and the strength and support that has come my way through that kind of relationship.

For most of my life, I have been surrounded by incredibly gifted and talented people who trust God with their lives and their countenance reflects joy and contentment. They are the kind of people who are a perpetual source of encouragement to others.

Across the years, I have occasionally met people who say that they don’t have friends.  Something tragic comes their way have they are at loss to know where to turn. There isn’t anyone who shows up to stand with them or support them at the point of need.

Loneliness and isolation are at an epidemic level in across our nation.  People need people and the best way to have friends is to choose to be a friend.  You don’t have to have a PhD in psychology to know the importance of relationships.  Prior to sin entering the world, God saw that it was not good for man to be alone.

I remember that as I drove to church that Sunday morning almost three weeks ago, I was a little disappointed that Pastor Lonnie wouldn’t be in the pulpit. As Dr. Conner shared with us a post-resurrection message, it became abundantly clear that we were blessed to have the privilege of hearing from Dr. Conner. His message was just what I needed to hear.

He shared a couple of illustrations in his message that he credited to an Episcopal priest. I grabbed my pen because I wanted to write down the name of the priest. As I was exiting the church, I was figuratively on cloud nine. I thanked Dr. Sloan for sharing the message and asked if I had correctly written down the name of the Episcopal priest he mentioned.  What I heard was T Sloan.  I had it wrong. The Episcopal priest’s name is Kee Sloan. Dr. Sloan said, Kee Sloan had written a couple of books.

As a first order of business when we got home, I asked the General to order the books. As it turned out, Bishop Kee Sloan has written three books. They follow a sequence. I ordered all of them and I’ve benefitted greatly from what I’ve read.

Of the first book entitled “Jabbok”, the author writes in acknowledgements: “So much of my own story is woven in and out of this story that I’ve begun to think of it as sort of a spiritual biography.”

I found Jabbok to be one of the most interesting books that I’ve read. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I have yet to discover the illustration I wanted to have, but am certain that I will find it in the next book.

All My Best!

Don

Stories Are Powerful

Sunday after church, I spent the remainder of the day finishing reading the book I started the day before.  The book is fiction, but the writer said the fabric from his own life was woven into the script. The book was well written. At least it held my attention from start to finish.

As a rule of thumb, I seldom put a book down until I finish reading it. Of course, some books cannot be read in a day.  But if I’ve invested several hours in reading, I will stay with it until I’ve read the book from cover to cover.

Years ago, when I traveled an appreciable distance to work, I often filled the time with audio books. More than once, I delayed pulling into my driveway late at night until I came to a good stopping place in the book. That simply substantiates the kind of hold a book can represent.  Stories are powerful. 

Yesterday, Amazon delivered three books I had ordered a couple of weeks earlier.   Actually, paperback versions of the books were available to ship my direction immediately, but I wanted hardback copies. In my warped sense of what’s important, there is something substantive about a hard-back book.

The General prefers to read on her Kindle, but I want a real book to hold in my hands.  Reading should routinely be a part of my week, but sometimes I fail to remember the importance a book can represent.

When I was a little kid in elementary school, during the summer months when school was out, my mother took us to the library once a week. It was her expectation that we read during the week instead of devoting every minute of the day to playing.

This past Friday when I was flying from Tampa to Austin, on my way home from Washington, the man sitting in the middle seat to my left on the airplane read from the moment he sat down until the plane landed.  I noticed the paperback book he was reading because it was well-worn and the pages had yellowed with age.  I was curious about the book, but didn’t get an opportunity to ask any questions because he never looked up.  However, I was bold enough to take a picture.

Periodically, someone will ask me, “Have you read any good books lately?”  I always answer truthfully. Yet, I find it a source of embarrassment if I don’t have a book on the tip of my tongue that I could recommend.

How about you?  Have you read any good books lately?

All My Best!

Don

I Want To Go To California

Our pastor always garners my attention. Yesterday morning he mentioned that during the week, he flew to New Mexico to attend to a medical emergency involving his dad.  His flight on Southwest Airlines took him first to Phoenix, AZ.

Despite his intent to call early enough to get in the A-boarding group on Southwest Airlines, he disappointingly found himself in the C-boarding group. That significantly reduces choices of seating. Yet from the story he shared, I’d say he got lucky. 

The precocious 4-year-old sitting in the window seat on the aisle he subsequently found to sit, was seated separate from his family. The four year old broke out in song as soon as the plane broke through the clouds. He made the melody and song up as he went along, but the words were repetitious: “We are on our way to California. I want to go to California.” 

By the time he changed planes in Phoenix, our pastor was certain that everyone on the plane wanted to go with that little boy to California. The joy in his anticipation was contagious.

I immediately thought of my grandson Jake. At the age of four, he likely would have done the same thing. He was a musical kid and that age, and he sang all the time.  Jake has never been at a loss for words either while talking or while singing.

I, too, found myself wanting to go to California. The most scenic stretch of roadway that I’ve ever driven on is in California. It is the stretch of roadway that goes past the Pebble Beach Golf Course. There is a toll for taking that road, but it is well worth the price of admission. The views of the Pacific Ocean are amazing.

I found myself momentarily lost in thought and my thoughts had to do with California rather the content of the pastor’s sermon. I probably shouldn’t say that, but it is true. In my momentary day dreaming, I envisioned the General and I were looking through antique stores in Carmel, California. That too is a most wonderful Pacific Coast setting and we have been there several times. 

The pastor drew me back in when he asked: “What is the song of your life?” His message carried a post resurrection theme and the peace and joy that is available to us. During his message, he mentioned a book that I intuitively knew I wanted to read.

Pastor Lonny reads good books, and he always has stories to share. Where he finds the time to read, I don’t know. At the same time, isn’t it true that failure to find the time to read is a waste of one’s time?

The book he mentioned is about a kid from a hard place who grows up hearing the message that he is no good. The character in the book goes by the name Nub Taylor. He ex-wife said he was no good. His daughter has the same perception. He is watching a party at his daughter’s home. He is parked across the street and looking through binoculars. He isn’t welcome.

I gathered from what I subsequently learned about the book, “Kinfolk”, written by Sean Dietrich, is that although the book is fictitious, in many respects the story of his life is woven in the pages.

His father committed suicide early in Sean’s childhood. His father’s death had a profound impact on his son’s life. His self-image was that of an underprivileged child. As a kid, he loved music, and he used music to negotiate dealing with getting through the rough spots in his life.

It is said of “Kinfolk”, “Beloved Southern writer Sean Dietrich, also known as Sean of the South, once again brings people and places to life in this lyrical song-turned-story about found family, second chances, country music, and the poignant power of love and forgiveness.”

I’m ordering the book today.

All My Best!

Don

Trust In God Makes A Difference

When it comes to a favorite pastime, the General and I are generally not glued in front of the television. Over the past 3 ½ months when I’ve been “off my feet”, we’ve relied more heavily on filling time in the evenings with the television turned on. We don’t watch regular television and how many episodes of HGTV can you watch without getting bored? Okay, so that wasn’t a fair question. We have been fans of HGTV for many years. I’m not sure we ever got bored, but they say that variety is the spice of life.

This past week or two, we’ve watched a series on Amazon Prime that tugged at my heartstrings. The series is entitled The Baxters. It is the fictious story of John and Elizabeth Baxter and their adult children.

The thing that made this series different from any series I’ve watched on television is that John and Elizabeth negotiate the ups and downs of life from a faith-based perspective. They are a Christian family, and they are actively involved in their church. Every episode highlights a scripture that that seems pertinent to the storyline.  

One of the things I’ve found to be true as a parent is that when your kids are doing great, you are doing great.  When disappointments or difficulties surfaces in a child’s life regardless of their age, it also impacts the parent. That truth is reflected in the lives of John and Elizabeth Baxter.

There are times in our lives when hardships, disappointments, or difficulties take center stage. We either turn to God or we turn away from God.  You see both approaches in the Baxter family. John and Elizabeth attempt to provide guidance or gentle re-direction to their adult children without overstepping their boundaries.

I found the Baxter series to be thought provoking. Like I said, we mostly binge-watched season-one in a few evenings.  Individually, the Baxter family members didn’t always take the high road or follow the straight and narrow path, but regardless of where they landed, there was always the underlying hope on the part of the parents that faith could make a difference.  John and Elizabeth have a large family and drama comes in shocking and unexpected ways. But the undertone of each episode demonstrated the difference that unconditional love and patience can make. 

The drama is based on a series of books written by Karen Kingsbury. She is a Christian novelist and grew up in a household of five children. She was the oldest.  Following college, she was a sportswriter for the Los Angeles Times and later wrote for the Los Angeles Daily News. Her first book was entitled “Missy’s Murder (1991)”. It was based on a murder story that she covered in Los Angeles.

Kingsbury has written or co-written almost 100 novels or short stories. She is a #1 New York Times and USA Today best-selling novelist with the last dozen books published topping best seller lists.

I suspect that you will enjoy the Baxters.

All My Best!

Don