By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Our family trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, last October was no different than any of trips anywhere else in that I took lots of pictures.  I delete many of them later, but sometimes I’m surprised by what I later find as I scan through all those photos.  This is one of those.

We had paused for a break in our walking and were standing on a small bridge people-watching, one of my favorite activities.  We could see Cinderella’s Castle not too terribly far across the way, so I took a few pictures as we walked around.  This particular one was free of distractions, no crowds of people, just the castle.

But what makes the picture nice to me is that the castle is perfectly reflected in the still water of the small pond.  You can see the inverted castle in all its glory, and all the clouds around it even show up clearly.  It was a great reflection of the real thing.

I believe that’s exactly what we are called to be in this world.  We are to be a great reflection of Jesus!  Perfect we will never be this side of Heaven.  But we can certainly share and show His love with those around us.

My reflection of Jesus will probably never be as clear, calm, and perfect as that pool of water shows the castle.  But by the grace of God, I can get pretty close to that.

And, as I strive to reflect the goodness of God in a hurting world, there will no-doubt be those people who are surprised by how clearly the Lord shines through such an imperfect person.  May that be our goal for this week ahead.  Reflect Jesus, no matter what stirs underneath the surface, no matter the distractions, no matter our imperfections. 

Just show them Jesus!

Just a thought.

Just a thought to help start your week.

Going on two weeks now, the little fellow you see pictured here has visited me every single morning without fail.  As I sit typing this right now, he is chirping loudly and pecking away at the window.  I believe he is seeing his reflection and is trying to defend his territory for his little lady, who has been sitting quietly in the bush behind him most mornings.

Every single morning, he has arrived around 7am.  This morning it was about a quarter till.  The chirping and pecking begin, and he won’t let up for two or three hours.  I pull the curtains back, hoping to change the lighting or glare so that he doesn’t see his reflection and want to fight.  But it does very little good.  He is focused.  He is determined.  He is relentless.  And he is tireless.

Peck, peck, peck.  Chirp, chirp, chirp.  Over and over.  Persistent, defending his loved one and keeping her safe from all that might cause harm.  If only we were that focused and had that same work ethic.

Every single morning, without fail, for all of my fifty-five plus years, I have opened my eyes (and ears), knowing that the Lord was already there, waiting for my conversation with Him.  He hangs around, talking to me even when I try to tune Him out, and even when I just don’t listen.  He is protecting me from harm I don’t even realize is there.  He talks to me.  He sings love songs to me.  He remains close by — not for my entertainment, but for my companionship.

Without this little cardinal, my morning today would be so much quieter.  The window at the end of the hall would be dark, with curtains drawn.  The noise would be gone.  I’d be all alone.

Without Him, life would be even quieter, darker, and lonely.  “Without Him, I could do nothing.  Without Him, I’d surely fail.  Jesus.  Oh, Jesus.  Do you know Him today?  Do not turn Him away!”  He’s there, talking to you even now.  Are you paying attention?  Are you listening?  Begin your days with Him.  You’ll never be the same again.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

I had a really strange feeling that I was being watched.  It wasn’t a scary kind of feeling, but I definitely knew something was there.  So I looked out the window, and sure enough.  There he stood.

He was staring directly at me.  Both of those beady eyes were fixated on mine.  His posture was stiff, as if he hadn’t wanted to be detected.  He remained motionless for a brief moment or two, apparently surveying the situation and weighing his options.  It was as if he knew he had been discovered, and he was unsure of whether to run or just ignore the situation.

It sounds like a crazy lead into a Friday night movie, but I assure you it was real.  From what I could see, he was fuzzy and gray.  He was purposefully trying to stand taller than he actually was, perhaps to ward off any danger, or perhaps even to impress the one who had suddenly seen him there staring into the occupied house.

That very brief moment or two seemed much longer to both of us.  I’m quite sure the creature, because of his nature, knew exactly what a nut was.  And here he stood – staring at the biggest one he had ever seen – a much taller, but also gray-haired, “nut” staring right back at him!

The encounter ended as quickly as it had begun, and each of us scurried off to some other task.  So, what could have possibly been the purpose behind that mid-morning meeting?  Could either the little guy or I have been meant to learn something from the other?  

I submit this to the reader.  You’ve read this craziness without pause.  You’ve taken it all in.  You’ve pictured both of us in your mind’s eye, and you’ve snickered at the ridiculousness of it all.

I hope and pray that as you read the Word of God in the week ahead, you do so without pause.  You take it all in.  You picture it in your mind’s eye, and you see the ridiculousness of a forgiving, all-knowing God Who watches your every move simply because He loves you!  It makes no sense, but it’s true!  I can’t explain it.  I simply trust that He is Who He says He is, and that He cares enough to love even a “nut” like me!

Feel like you’re being watched?  Good!  You are!  And He loves the one He sees!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

A few short years ago, during several days in France, we traveled from place to place and saw many things.  We experienced the coasts of Omaha Beach and others where the infamous D-Day activities took place.  We ventured into the Loire Valley, well-known for its generations-old vineyards and wineries.  We visited the palace of Versailles, the Eiffel Tower, and the Louvre. 

Each of those places, and so many more that we saw, was uniquely different and magnificent.  But in order to see each and every one of those sights in about nine days, we had to travel, sometimes hours at a time, into the French countryside.  One afternoon as the bus rolled down the roadway out in the middle of nowhere, we saw some of these gigantic structures pictured here.  You can probably guess what this is.  It is exactly what you think — part of a nuclear power facility.

To say we were astonished would be an understatement.  We had seen many wonderful things, things which were brand new to the vast majority of us in our group.  But none of us had ever seen one of these, and I haven’t forgotten it.

We weren’t looking for it.  We didn’t expect to find it.  And yet, in the middle of everything everywhere was this giant power source.  —  Wow!  Did you catch that?

In the middle of my roaming about in this life, when I’m at awe and blown away by so many worldly things that take my attention, when I set my sights on things that have value only on this side of Heaven, right there in the middle of it all sits my Lord with the power to control everything everywhere!

Even when I’m not looking (or maybe, especially when I’m not looking), there He is, right in the middle of nowhere and yet everywhere.  The power of my Jesus, of which I am truly in awe!  Grab the camera, take notes, don’t miss it as you fly by on life’s highway — the power of the One Who created it all.  Take notice.  Those moments are worth remembering!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Over the Christmas holidays, my grand-dog named Scout came to visit.  He brought his parents, my middle one and her hubby, with him, of course.  He’s my beautiful shiny black mostly-lab, part probably-pit, doesn’t really matter because he’s so great, four-legged grandchild with the biggest brown eyes you’ve ever seen.

We wore him out with all the excitement in the house.  After a while, he just gave up, laid his head in my lap, and took a well-deserved nap.  But, before all that, he had been seriously intrigued by the neighbor’s similar-looking dog roaming around in our yard.  And so, Scout sat on the couch and talked loudly to the one on the other side of that window!

You see, Scout didn’t understand why he was inside while the other dog was outside.  They were in separate places.  One roaming freely, one seemingly confined against his will indoors, at least for the moment.  Scout’s boundless energy and unparalleled enthusiasm could have gotten him in some trouble outside.  In our trips out there, it was not a man walking a dog, it was a dog walking (running!) this man, struggling to pull his leash as I held on with all I had.  Scout was amazed by our not-so-friendly-toward-him cat, the many squirrels, the horses, cows, and goat.  He loved his exploring time, but it had to be just that.

Had I unhooked Scout from his leash, we would likely still be looking for him.  The world and its excitement would be too much for him to handle.  He would run, he would chase, he would do his best to figure out why that other dog got to roam around all by itself with no supervision!

We behave like Scout some days.  We tug, jerk, and pull on the reigns that God tries to have on our lives.  We think we would rather roam around freely, chasing whatever fancied our whim at the moment.  And if we continue in that untamed energy, if we run with no boundaries, if we ignore the one trying so hard to hold the leash, and just take off on our own, we are as lost as the one who never saw a leash, a rule, or a commandment.

Scout will grow up to be a fine grand-dog in his home with boundaries, supervised outdoor excursions, and windows through which he can look, but not touch what could lead him in the wrong direction.  Maybe we should all heed the example of that furry four-legged friend.  Yield to the hand of the One who knows the harm we could experience turned loose on our own this week.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Life sometimes gives you those days when you feel like you need the protection and coverage of the hand of God more than ever.  Things, for whatever the reason, have dealt you a hard blow.  You hurt.  You want to run away.  You feel like hiding somewhere away from everyone and everything.  What you’d really like is to crawl in a hole in a rock somewhere and just stay there.

This particular hole in a rock is a cave at what is called Jackson’s Falls, one of many scenic spots along the famed Natchez Trace.  One can walk and explore around the water fall, roam the old paths, and climb the rocks if you dare.  The cave seems to beckon for anyone to come.

There is an old hymn that I love.  In it are these words:

“A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, A wonderful Savior to me;

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, Where rivers of pleasure I see.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord, He taketh my burden away,

He holdeth me up and I shall not be moved, He giveth me strength as my day.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock, That shadows a dry, thirsty land;

He hideth my life in the depths of His love, And covers me there with His hand, And covers me there with His hand.”

That big old cave or hole that you would really love to crawl into and hide from the world just happens the be the very place where God’s loving and gracious hands will cover you from the things of this world and take away your burdens!

I want you to know today that it’s okay to not be okay.  Crawl into your hole and hide if that’s what you really need today.  Just remember that the Lord is there, waiting to hold you tight.  Perhaps the quiet solitude of the cave or cleft in the rock is exactly where you needed to be after all.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Did you study another language in school?  Have you had the opportunity to befriend someone who speaks a different language?  If you have, then you probably are more appreciative of their background, heritage, or homeland.

In high school, I had a friend who was studying French.  By listening to him, I learned a few phrases, none of which I actually used when I visited France, though!  In college, I had a friend from Turkey.  His language and foods were fascinating and enjoyable.  Our Chinese friends locally have allowed us to see how the love of Jesus is working through them and through their family members at home.  All of these have been opportunities to love others as God sees and loves them.

Take a look at my picture this week.  You probably have no problem reading the Bible verse on the left side, but what about the one on the right?  I tried.  I read it aloud at my sister’s house at Christmas.  When I finished, she responded with, “Well, I recognized a couple of those words.”  She wasn’t complimenting my usage of the language.  She knows those words.  I obviously didn’t.  My sister and her pastor husband work with and minister to the people of the Choctaw Indian reservation in central Mississippi.  This Bible is my brother-in-law’s English/Choctaw translation.

I didn’t do well at reading those Choctaw words of John 3:16.  But those words will no-doubt bring love, joy, and comfort to those who know the language.

If we are to meet the needs of the people around us, we must know their language.  That may mean speaking differently, approaching them differently, being more patient, and lovingly encouraging the lost around us to come to know the language of the Lord – LOVE.

There was a phrase that our supervisor used frequently when I worked with the welfare system, and it’s a phrase that a Sunday School teacher or two uses from time to time in our church.  It is simply this — “People will never care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”

Part of caring for the lost is learning how to speak to them.  Beating them over the head with the Word and telling them they’re lost will generally not be nearly as effective as living the Word in front of them and showing them, as Sandi Patty sang, “Love in Any Language.”

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Just the other day I picked up the necessary ingredients, got busy in the kitchen, and worked diligently to stir up a batch of old-fashioned homemade fudge.  I measured everything precisely.  I followed the directions to the letter.  I stirred constantly.  I did everything I was supposed to do.

It wasn’t long before the wonderful aroma of the thick hot chocolate mixture filled the house.  It smelled great.  I finished the product, poured it into the prepared pan, and waited.  And waited.  And waited.  And waited some more.  I finally gave up on seeing the gooey stuff set up, I covered it, and put it in the fridge for the night.

The next morning I retrieved the pan full of the prettiest looking fudge you’ve ever seen.  I tried cutting it, and it just oozed back together.  It never set up.  So much for taking it to a family gathering that day.  I began texting my sister asking for her opinion and helpful hints.  First of all, this was not my first fudge rodeo.  However, the results had always been the same.  Beautiful to look at.  Wonderful to smell.  But never set up like it should.

My sister’s kind suggestion was to just pour it in a jar, call it “spoon fudge,” and pretend I meant for it to be like that!  So I took her advice, and the jar you see here is the result.

This year is very quickly coming to an end (or may have already, depending on when you see this).  The brand new year of 2024 is appearing with all of its possibilities and promises of a grander tomorrow.  So my point to this rambling is simply this — 

Maybe 2023 didn’t turn out like you meant for it to.  Maybe you believe you did everything just right.  You followed His direction, you did everything you could to make sure all was right.  And yet, it still didn’t set right.  Maybe the year looked beautiful, but you feel fooled by how it turned out.  My advice to you is to just pour it in a jar, call it something else delicious, and pretend you meant for it to be that way.

The nice thing about my “failed” fudge is that it tastes absolutely delicious!  A spoonful of the delectable treat will make you want for more.  It’s all in your perspective.  I could have dumped the “mistake” and started over or even given up completely.  Instead, I came up with a wonderful result, even if it was unintentional.  

Maybe 2023 hasn’t come together like you hoped.  Aw, fudge!  Maybe, just maybe you need to take a different look at it, grab yourself a spoon, and just enjoy the fruits (or fudge) of your labors!  You may find that it has turned out so much better than it could have!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Deer – 1.  Truck – 0.  That was the score one particular night a week or so ago as my wife and I were driving home from her sister’s house.  We had recently seen many deer in separate places along a highway route nearby.  But this night, we were traveling along a different highway, headlight beams on high because it was so dark.  I drove across the long bridge as I entered the town through which we were to pass, and standing there in the literal middle of the road was the proverbial “deer caught in the headlights.”

It was as if the creature and I locked gazes for a split second.  I could see the whites of its eyes as it stared at me in disbelief.  I swerved as much as I dared with the bridge bannisters still so close to us, and the beautiful four-legged animal NEVER MOVED!  I submit into evidence the photo of my driver’s-side headlight cover (what’s left of it).

I’ll pause here.  No creature was killed or maimed.  No blood was shed.  But, wow, what a noise a deer’s hard head can cause when it makes contact with a truck’s headlights at about fifty miles per hour.  Only then did the deer run off.  Only because I interrupted its sightseeing expedition did the thing decide to turn and run off the pavement.  Only after a swift whack to the head did the animal see the need to go elsewhere.

I can only speak for myself, but I seriously suspect that a great many of us are just as stubborn and hard-headed as that deer.  We stand our ground, feet planted firmly in places we have no business of being.  We stare into the darkness daring anyone or anything to try and move us.  We ignore the very real possibility of danger, calamity, or even death and refuse to back down.  Why?  – Because we think we know what’s best.

Had the deer listened to me yelling, “Move!,” it might have saved itself and my truck some pain.  If we would only listen to the Lord as we wander about the roads of this life, what dangers we might miss, what pain we might avoid, what “deer in the headlights” moments we might never experience.

This week, keep your stubborn self alert to the dangers that come your way.  And if you’re the one in the driver’s seat, pay attention to those others who are too stubborn to move.  Repairs can be made.  But if you can avoid the abrupt collision altogether, it makes for a better journey!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Have you decorated your home for the Christmas season yet?  If so, you may have included, as we have, some nativity scenes.  Through the years I have collected many sets.  Each year I struggle to decide which favorites to display for that season.  In my picture this week, you see one that I have propped on the piano in our front room.  On a simple painted board are attached three shells that have been painted to resemble Mary, Joseph, and the Baby Jesus.

This one is very simple, yet very beautiful to me.  It shines.  And it’s a real picture of the true meaning for the season.  I purchased this particular homemade nativity from a display at a craft show of sorts last year.  The hands that made it were the same hands that sold it to me.

It’s just three shells, not unlike some you might find scavenging on the beach somewhere.  Those three simple shells are painted in simple plain colors.  Then they are attached to the board with some strong glue.  A gold star is then painted above them.  So simple.

The Christmas story is just as simple.  Jesus, born of the virgin Mary who was engaged to be married to Joseph, was born under no fanfare.  The inn was full.  The only place for them to bed down for the night was on the stable floor.  Then the Christ-Child was laid in a feeding trough.  No cheering.  No big blue “It’s A Boy!” wreath to hang on the stable door.  No baby shower.  No gifts of diapers or any of those necessities.  Just Mom, Dad, and that glorious Baby in a barn.

That Baby came to this world to offer us each a very simple gift – the gift of salvation.  He grew, He taught, He lived, and then He died a cruel death on a cross, shedding His blood for our sins so that we might know what true love really is.  It’s that simple.

A craftsman saw something in those simple shells.  The Great Craftsman sees something in your simple self.  You are His masterpiece.  It’s that simple.  He looks at you and sees something worth saving.  How do you see Him?  Look for Him in the simple things this Christmas season.

Just a thought.