Random Thoughts

Some random thoughts to go with your morning cup of coffee, or cappuccino or espresso or latte, or whatever.


Let me stand in line to congratulate all of the graduates from the Class of 2010. For some it was more of a challenge and a struggle to earn your diploma, but your perseverance was rewarded. You didn’t give up or drop out, but stayed the course. And you received what you perspired to achieve. Congratulations.

To my fellow citizens as we remember our fallen soldiers on this Memorial Day, what a debt of gratitude we owe! Those who have sacrificed their lives for the sake of freedom deserve our greatest respect. Let us live and use our blood-bought freedom responsibly, so that their deaths will not be in vain.

And, of course, we also remember with a special affection our loved ones who have gone before us. Whether it’s been decades or just days, the loss of someone close never fully heals. May the comfort and peace of the Lord Almighty strengthen you and help you as you allow Him to uphold you with His righteous right hand.

I’m going to put an early plug in for your fall reading material. A friend of mine, Shane Kastler, who preached our revival services back in March, has written a book due for release on October 1. I had the opportunity to read the manuscript last week and will tell you that if you like Civil War history, you’ll like this book. And if you love to see God’s providence and grace on display, you’ll love this book. It’s a biographical sketch of the spiritual journey of the notorious Confederate General, former slave trader and Ku Klux Klan member Nathan Bedford Forrest. You can even pre-order the book on Amazon.com. It’s entitled Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Redemption.

Once in a while, especially when I have some frustrations or feel like I’m needing some explanations, I turn to the book of Job in the Bible and read chapters 38-42. Talk about a reality check! I never cease to be amazed at the sovereignty and strength of God. Read these chapters for yourself sometime, preferably aloud, and see if God’s revelation of Himself in wisdom, majesty, power and glory does not drop you to your knees in humility, repentance and worship. As the writer of Ecclesiastes says, “Do not be quick with your mouth, do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven and you are on earth, so let your words be few” (Ecc. 5:2).

Sometimes when I get a cup of coffee at the QuikMart, I also pick up some Little Debbie Frosted Donuts for 75 cents. But don’t tell my wife.

Last year I complained about the time involvement in helping coach my son’s Bantams 1 baseball team. We had several practices and games rained out, so I felt I was always on the phone with other coaches and parents rescheduling and rearranging. It just seemed like it was more work than I had expected. Beyond that, our team did not win a single game all season, so I wonder whether or not the boys were learning anything or if I was a decent coach or not. But truth be told, I love the kids and I love baseball, and am enjoying coaching Toby’s T-ball team and helping Quinton Drone – who’s doing a great job, by the way – with this year’s Bantam 2 team. It also helps when you win the first two games of the season.

Somewhere in the back of my head I still have this crazy thing going on that I’d like to learn how to play the guitar. I mean, I’m not talking about becoming a rock star or anything, but if I could just play some worship songs or learn to lead on some children’s music, that’d be enough. I’m trying to decide whether or not to take a friend up on an offer to buy an acoustic-electric guitar for about $200. It would either give me the motivation to move forward, or be a waste of the equivalent of about 267 packages of Little Debbie Frosted Donuts. I’m not sure which.

Hope your day’s a little less random than mine. Hey, why not come to church on Sunday? Lord willing, I’m planning to focus in on a message about what to do when somebody does you wrong. I’ll even put on a pot of coffee for you if you’d like, but I don’t do the frilly drinks.