By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Although Sunday is the first day of the week, most of us feel like Monday is the day that begins our week officially.  Every week has a Monday.  Sometimes those Mondays hit harder than at other times.  Think of it this way – without the storms, we wouldn’t appreciate the sunshine.  Without the bad days, we might not be thankful for the good ones.  Without those Mondays, we would never get to the Fridays.

Many folks look forward to Monday because it’s the beginning of something new, a new challenge, a new unknown.  Many others dread Mondays for those very same reasons.  Many folks spend their weekends this time of year on the water or in the woods, and Monday can seem like a let down.  Mondays also bring with them the realities of what was in the week past and what must now be dealt with again this week, and we cringe at the thought.  It’s probably true for other professions as well, but I’ve read that many pastors and church leaders resign on Mondays, having barely recovered, if at all, from the responsibilities or burdens of the previous day.

I’ve shown you pictures of our family cat, Patches.  She rules our roost, albeit outside the house.  Here she sits, eyes closed, shutting out the world.  I think she spends 22 of her 24 daily hours asleep.  The other two hours are either spent eating or begging for dinner.

Have you ever wanted to close your eyes and shut out the world?  Certainly you have.  We all have.  But then what?  Sooner or later we must open our eyes and get back to reality.  I think that’s what Monday is really about.  Opening our eyes, getting back to the reality of a world that is lost and going to hell without Jesus.  We’ve worshipped together, prayed together, and encouraged one another.  Now it’s time to open those eyes wide, face Monday (or whatever day you’re reading this), and get busy.

There’s no time to drag around and belly ache about last week and its problems.  If they’re important enough, they’ll follow us into this week.  If not, then leave them right where they fell.  And remember that Mondays are easier to face when we do it together!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

I remember as a small boy being encouraged by my “Nanny” and my Momma to pay attention to the birds, flowers, sky, and all of nature.  I’ve tried to remember that, and I pay attention to the animals around me as well.  One hot afternoon recently as I stopped by our church building to drop off some things, there sat this beautiful blue lizard.

Sunning itself at the top of the outside stairwell, it never moved as I walked past it headed down to the basement fellowship hall.  I was only in the building a few minutes and came back up to discover the little fellow still in the same position.  Naturally, I reached into my truck, grabbed my phone, and snapped a picture, all the while hoping the lizard didn’t decide to run off before I got a photo of it.

Well, as it turns out, I could have waited all day, and the lizard would have never moved.  Four days later, that same blue lizard still sits in the same place, shrunken some and dried out from the heat of the sun.  You see, the lizard was dead.  It had apparently been dead before I spotted it a few days earlier.  Pretty, yes.  Interesting, yes.  A beautiful creation of God, yes.  But dead.  

I was fooled.  I was fooled by the beauty, its colors, and scaly design.  I was fooled into thinking the lizard was alive and well and ready to scamper off at any given moment, when in fact, it was dead and drying out even as I snapped its picture.

Be careful this week.  All that sparkles isn’t true.  All that glitters isn’t gold.  Satan disguises himself as a beautiful creature, hiding out in plain sight in the hearts of those we know and love, when in fact, those dear folks are dead on the inside.

Pay attention to those around you.  Do a better job than I did with the lizard.  See the beauty in others, but also see the need for God’s light – and life – in their lives.  If we miss our opportunities to share the love of God, we might just find out later that it’s too late.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Some of you are reading this on Memorial Day.  Many others will see it later, but the same thought applies.  I believe we live in the greatest country on this earth.  It became that way because of the many men and women who gave their lives protecting the freedoms we enjoy here in the United States of America.

The flag you see here was hanging in New York City’s Macy’s department store when we visited a few years ago.  As you can tell, the flag is made from old car tags or license plates.  The reds, whites, and blues all make up a very large depiction of our country’s flag.

I believe patriotism is a wonderful thing.  I believe we should stand up for what we believe, or we will fall for anything.  I believe God wants us each and every one to represent Him every day we live, just like we represent our country when we travel.

No where are we expected to, and never should we, worship our flag.  However, it does stand as a great symbol of a great country blessed by the greatest God.  

Lee Greenwood wrote, “I’m proud to be an American.”  Well, I certainly am.  But I’m also very proud to be a Christian.  I’m proud to call myself by the name of the One I love and worship.  I’m proud to represent Him as I’m fortunate enough to visit other places around our country.  I’m proud of the calling He has placed on my life.  Are you?

You WILL represent your hometown, your country, and your God wherever you go this week.  The question is HOW will you represent?  A life in Christ is the ultimate freedom, given to us by the One Who gave His all.

May God continue to bless us each in our pursuit to stand strong and share His love all around us!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

I took this picture at “the pass” on the gulf coast near Orange Beach, AL, a summer or two ago.  This particular spot is one we like to visit.  The crowds are not always as thick as some places, and we enjoy going early in the day or late in the evening.  Plus, the views from this vantage point are great too.

I don’t know what all you may have going on in your life right now, but each and every one of us have those days when we feel as if we are being knocked down, taking one step forward and two steps back.  As you watch the waves coming on shore, you notice that they beat against the rocks.  The waves move the sand around.  The waves drag things out to sea, and they also deposit things on the shore.  The waves, although beautiful and peaceful to hear, have the power to change all that they touch.

When those “waves” of doubt, despair, and discouragement come upon you, have you ever thought about simply stepping back?  The farther from the water’s edge, the less impact the waves have on me.  The farther from the problem, issue, or trouble (be it a person, place, or thing), the better off I seem to be.  That, of course, makes perfect sense, doesn’t it?  And then, it isn’t always as easy as stepping away.

But sooner or later, the man who built his house on the sand will see it demolished.  It’s those rocks that hold still, stand strong, and remain.  Regardless of the power of the waves beating upon them each and every day, the rocks remain firm.  That’s why they call Him the Rock of ages.  That’s why we are told to build upon the Rock.  An anchor will hold to the Rock much better than to the shifting sands.

The waves will come, and they will go.  The sand changes constantly even under our feet and careful watchful eye.  Oh, but look at the rocks!  The rocks remain steady and firm.  So does The Rock.  In the midst of life’s shifting sands and the beating of this week’s waves, I pray you’ll step up on the Rock and allow the Lord to hold you steady.  He wants to!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

 Just a thought to help start your week.

Once in a while, I do something I’ve never done before.  This past weekend was one of those occasions.  We celebrated the wedding of our middle daughter to the love of her life!  I snapped this picture Saturday afternoon before any of the official photos were made, before any of the guests arrived, and before the prospective bride and groom had experienced their “first look” moments.

The location was quiet, the weather was beautiful, and all of these chairs sat empty, facing a large beautiful arrangement of her requested flowers.  Now, firstly, as her father, I will remind you that none of my three are any more special than the others.  However, the middle one has a little different story to tell.  She entered the world three months too early and tipped the scales at only 2 pounds, 4 ounces before losing a few ounces to just below that two pound mark.  That whirl wind of time in our lives was one we will never forget.  And one of the main reasons that is true is that we were reminded daily that God was in control.  He showed up and showed out in many ways over our little one’s first months.  —  And He has continued to do so in her life.

One of my mother’s first comments was that “God has something special in store for her!”  She has pursued her dreams in education and employment.  She has fallen head over heels, not just for the boy, but for his calling and ministry, which we all believe has become hers as well.  And Saturday she married the man to whom we witnessed her engagement exactly one year earlier to the day.  The wedding, from decorations, people involved, food, music, and excitement, was all exactly what the two of them wanted, and, oh, it showed!  What an great time.

Why am I sharing all this?  Those chairs went from empty to nearly three hundred in a short time.  The venue went from quiet to rattling with music and dancing in no time (yes, she got her old Daddy out there on the floor!)  And even though some of our dear folks got stuck in traffic miles away and never made it, the show went on.

Stumbles come in our lives.  Sometimes we show up too early.  Sometimes, perhaps, we never show up at all.  And yet, God always does!  No matter how the situation looks or is perceived by others, God has His plan in store – a plan that is certainly “something special.”  My challenge to us this week is to take a deep breath, let go of all those things we cannot control, and let God show out.  I’ve mentioned in some of my online writing already that the one song sung at the wedding was “The Goodness of God.”  We worshipped Him as our family gained a son.  We will continue to worship Him until the day He calls His bride home for the wedding celebration!  Wow, what a party that will be!  You’ve been invited.  Have you returned your R.S.V.P.?

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

This pink rose and a red one on another bush are the first two blooms of the year in our yard.  I was thrilled to see them and even posted pictures of each on social media.  Our roses are usually some of the first flowers around us to spring to life each year.  Red ones and two or three shades of pink adorn my scraggly looking bushes.

Shakespeare is the one who reminded us that “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”  My “Nanny” loved her rose bushes, and I remember being fascinated by how many and how pretty they were.  My late father-in-law’s favorite flower was the red rose, which we make a point to share on his grave from time to time.

The Bible book of Song of Solomon is a conversation between Solomon and his love, a woman simply known as a Shulamite.  The beauty of the flowers in the wild fertile plane of Sharon was apparently something to behold, and Solomon’s lover describes herself as the “rose of Sharon.”  Many folks have come to recognize Jesus as the “rose of Sharon” because of the beauty of His love for us, although He is never actually called by that name in the Scriptures.  It is a description of the loving relationship God desires for us to have with His Son.

Roses.  They are lovely.  They smell heavenly.  They come in all colors of the rainbow.  We use them to denote love and friendship and to show we care.

While I won’t have enough roses on my bushes to share with everyone I care about, I can certainly share with them about the love of One whose love grows sweeter and sweeter as the days go by.  I look forward to seeing my rose bushes in full bloom.  And I look forward to the day when I shall see Him in His full glory.

Take time to stop and smell the roses this week.  Breathe Him in.  Share the love.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Spring is in the air – quite literally.  Pollen gives our shiny black car a sick greenish color.  If my eyes and nose aren’t itching, my ears and throat are.  The bird nest so craftily built on the porch light outside my office window is now host to a new brood of baby birds.  Can’t you hear that constant chirping in the background?  We’ve had more than enough rain and tornado-like activity across our area week after week lately, and the ground is saturated.

The azaleas and hydrangeas have been in full bloom, and the rose bushes are covered in buds just waiting to pop wide open with bursts of color.  The grass is growing, and the weeds need trimming.  The flower beds need attention, and the porch needs painting.

Get my point yet?  I love spring time and the newness of life that it seems to portray.  But spring time also brings with it those many reminders of things that need to be done.  And most of them needed doing yesterday.  We don’t have time to sit still, because we have too many things to accomplish and so little time to get them done.

Sitting still is good sometimes, but if we sit still too long, we get stiff.  Those bones and joints pop more than they did last year.  And we need to stay active.  If we don’t, we become stagnant.  We get stiff and sore.  We waste time.  

“A rolling stone gathers no moss.”  How about, “a moving structure grows no ivy.”  This building on the banks of San Antonio’s River Walk is being covered with creeping ivy because nothing is being done to keep it away.  The more it is left alone, the more the ivy will cover that building’s facade, and the more that building “disappears” behind the greenery.

Don’t disappear into the background of this crazy world.  Get busy.  God expects it.  The pollen can’t keep us down.  We’ve got to keep going, keep flying, keep chirping — constantly.  I think it’s a reminder to those around us that God is still at work too!

Just a thought.

By Ryan Kelly –

Easter Sunday is not just another day.  It is a day where we celebrate the greatest gift that has ever been given, the gift of eternal life for everyone who believes and worships our Lord and Savior Jesus.

The Bible describes many miracles that Jesus performed.  He turned water into wine, He walked on water, He healed many and drove out demons.  He did many miraculous things while He ministered here on Earth.  But in the end, someone can always try and justify how such a miracle could have occurred.  

However, something that can never be explained away is the empty tomb.  Even the religious leaders and Roman soldiers knew their half-baked explanation was as empty as the tomb itself, yet to save face they still tried to explain it away.  History has shown, though, that anyone who studies the resurrection of Jesus will always come to absolute faith in our Lord, as the evidence of its truth is undeniable.

By conquering both sin (on the cross) and death (with the resurrection) it means that you and I too are able to follow Jesus in conquering sin and death.  His blood washes away each sin that we commit, and His rising from death means that we too will rise with Him once we die from this Earth.  This is truly the only priceless gift that has ever existed, and it is one given to us because of the great love that the Lord bestows on us.

Praise to the Lord for Jesus is Risen!  Death could not hold Him, and for all who believe and worship Jesus, it will not hold us either!  

Happy Easter everyone.

By Brad Campell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

As we drove through Ohio and Pennsylvania, we did a little random searching for Amish-related communities or some such place.  What we discovered was that many were quite a ways off of our planned route, and most of them were heavily commercialized, so we chose not to pursue any of them.  Then traveling back into North Carolina, we saw many signs in Hickory, NC, advertising Amish furniture.  

I exited the highway and we assumed we would head to a quiet rustic place where we could wander and look around.  Instead, we were directed right into town where we located a very large furniture mall, composed entirely of many different furniture stores, very few of which actually claimed to carry Amish items.  Since we’d made it a point to go, we took some time to wander in and take a look for ourselves.

One place of business did indeed have many very outrageously overpriced pieces which we carefully observed.  And there, in the middle of the large store, was this Amish buggy, up on a pedestal-like perch out of reach of our curious hands.

This buggy was well away from the farm where it was once used, away from the Amish family who once rode in it to church and community events, and well away from anything we saw that resembled the simple Amish life.  And yet, it retained its identity as an Amish buggy, easily recognizable as created by the Amish.

As we wander through our world this week, are we still recognizable as the Christians we claim to be?  We can be far from church and family and still stand true to the life we are called to live as we serve the Lord.  Will the world see me and instantly recognize me as one created by The Master?

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.  One of our brief stops on last summer’s road trip was the downtown historical area of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  After leaving our car in a strangely odd parking facility, we walked a couple of blocks up to Independence Square and across to the museum where the famed Liberty Bell is housed.  It was just after closing time, and therefore we couldn’t go inside, but we quickly discovered that the Liberty Bell sits in a glassed corner of the building.  This allowed us to get a view and take a few pictures.

As you look at this photo and inspect the bell, you will realize that you don’t see the crack – the one thing that makes the Liberty Bell famous.  You see, the bell has been positioned so that one must be inside the museum to see the crack.  From the building’s outside, you can only see the other side of the bell.  We got to see the Liberty Bell, but we didn’t get to see the cracked part.

The world looks at the Christian, and they watch us and “inspect” us much more than we would dare to imagine.  They see the outside, the part that we present to the rest of the world.  They see who we are, but do they really see what makes us different?

My Mom used to remind us kids when we went out to “Remember who you are and whose you are.”  And I’ve never forgotten that sage advice!  Those really are two different things while also being the very same thing.  I am Brad, a preacher’s kid, a preacher myself, a husband and father.  That tells you who I am.  But I’m also a Bible-believing, Christ-following servant of the King.  And that tells you to Whom I belong.  Does everyone see that side of me?  I pray so!

We saw one side only of the Liberty Bell.  Maybe one day we can see what made it so famous.  I’ll have to look twice.  May the world around us only have to look once to see who we are and Whose we are!

Just a thought.