By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

A year or so ago, my wife and I attended a very nice cooking demonstration and dinner that had been gifted to us from a daughter and her hubby.  This picture is from that event.  We were fascinated by how the master chef and his assistant prepared an entire meal, from start to finish, right there in front of us.

Every step of every process was explained in detail along with a little humor, which we greatly enjoyed.  We watched, we “oooed” and “aaahhed” and had a very nice time.  But had that been the end of the night, we would have left there still hungry and not the least bit satisfied.

Instead, we got to eat that very nice dinner.  Each course was served, and every person ate to their fill.  We got to take advantage of and enjoy the labors of the chefs, and we couldn’t take any of the credit for the wonderful meal.

We as Christians are in a similar situation.  First of all, we’ve been invited to join the others at the banquet.  The dinner table has already been set.  The silver and glassware have been arranged, and the napkins are awaiting our use.  We sit in awe while we watch the Master prepare to bless us with His riches.  He shares the process, invites us to take part in the tastings along the way, and then serves His goodness to everyone in attendance.

We eat of His mercy and grace until we’ve had our fill — and there’s always more than we can handle!  We enjoy the company, we relish in the goodness, and we leave rejoicing and full of Him.  And we can claim no part in the work of His great gift.  All we had to do was accept it as it came, and then take the responsibility of passing the plate!

As you sit at the symbolic dinner table of your week, enjoy all of His bounty, and share with those around you, knowing you will all leave this place blessed for having been a guest at His table.  Watch the Master work!

Just a thought.

by Brad Campbell

Just a thought to help start your week.

The Bible tells us that God’s people wandered in the desert wilderness for forty years as they awaited the time to enter their promised land.  While they wandered, they wondered.  They wondered ‘how’ and ‘why’ and ‘why not.’  They followed, then they didn’t.  They obeyed, then they didn’t.  It seems they had an awful lot of trouble being content.

Does that ever happen to you?  Sometimes we feel as if we are wandering in the desert wilderness of God’s abandonment, when actually we are the ones who have abandoned Him.

I took this picture of what I think is beautiful desert wilderness just outside Phoenix, Arizona.  Mountains are in the distance.  I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather be on a mountain any day than in the hot sand.  But between me and the mountains lay those hot sands, full of cactus and other such not-so-friendly growths.  The place is not very inviting.

Not inviting, that is, until you notice the pool of blue water right in the center.  No, it isn’t an oasis.  It is a real pool of water there in the midst of the desert landscape.

I can stand and focus on my week ahead and see the dirty parts.  I can stress out about the not-so-friendly parts and people.  I can see nothing but the things that make my walk hot and unpleasant.  OR, I can stop, gather my wits, focus on the cool water that awaits me and offers a refreshment like no other as I travel on toward the beautiful mountains at the end of my journey.

This week, choose to be content with the little pool of water and the mountains in the distance.  In doing so, you will find the strength to face the hot sands and cactus and any other unpleasant things on your path.  When you begin to wonder why you are wandering, focus on Him.  He makes the desert wilderness so much more beautiful.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Have you ever given much thought to church steeples?  By that, I mean have you ever wondered why church buildings even have steeples?  What purpose, if any, is there of a steeple on top of a church building?  Is there some meaning behind them?

As I ramble and wonder about things, this was one of them.  I remember that each church I have ever been a part of had a steeple of some kind.  Some stood taller than others.  Nearly all had a cross on them.  This particular photo is of a cross-adorned steeple sitting high atop one of our local churches.  Simple, but elegant.  Plain, but pretty.  And identifiable!

The main reason for any church building to incorporate a steeple into its architecture is in order to identify the building as a place of worship.  A cross or any other religious symbol on the steeple helps identify the church as being part of the Christian faith.  The steeple does have a purpose.

We wear crosses in our jewelry.  We wear religious symbols on our clothing.  We might as well have a cross or steeple on top of our head.  Why?  Because we are, as Christians, the temple of the Lord.  We are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit, and we should be identifiable as such!  People should be able to differentiate us from the rest of the world.

Now, literally, we don’t have to be physically marked with a cross to be considered a Christian.  The building doesn’t have to have a steeple to be a house of worship.  But my ever-rambling point is to ask ourselves the question — Am I identifiable in this world as a Christian?  I don’t have to be perfect, just be humble and loving and forgiving.  Sometimes plain and simple is best.

Steeples sometimes fall.  They sometimes cause leaks in the roofing.  And often times, they are targets of lightning strikes.  And yet we keep putting them up.

You may experience all of those problems along the way too – falls, causing problems where you stand, and perhaps even attracting a powerful punch from above – but keep standing tall, above it all, and represent the One Who saw fit to place you there!  Be recognizable as a child of the King this week!  You WILL make a difference.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Hi all.  Just a thought to help start your week.

Last fall, in a museum in downtown Scottsboro, Arizona, I wandered for a couple of hours looking, reading, and admiring so many things.  One of those objects was this bronze sculpture from 1912 entitled “Appeal to the Great Spirit.”  The Native American Indian seated astride his majestic horse is leaning slightly backwards, arms opened wide with hands outstretched, looking up toward the heavens.

This particular pose is one of obvious prayer and petition to the “Great Spirit,” the One from Whom all blessings flow!

I cannot pretend to know or understand all the worship practices of these people, or any other person than myself, for that matter.  But what I do understand is that this man is crying out for the protection and guidance of an Almighty God to help him as he faces the unknown dangers of the world around him.

As you “mount up” and prepare for whatever dangers or obstacles that may face you in your wanderings of the desert lands, hills, and valleys of the coming week, won’t you take a moment first to cry out to the Lord for help?  We tend to think we are stronger than we are.  We think we can make it on our own.  We forget to call upon the Lord before we head out on our daily adventures, instead crying to Him when we fail because we didn’t follow His plan.  We gripe and complain about the problems and disappointments in our lives, when we never bothered to talk to Him before we started down that lonesome trail.

I have several Native American Indian connections in the twisted branches of my family tree, and some family members bear the physical characteristics more obviously than others.  My sister is one of those.  I am not.  And although I don’t look anything like the gentleman sitting atop this horse, I pray earnestly that I resemble him in my actions and my outstretched arms as I, too, appeal to the Great Spirit for His guidance through my week ahead.

Speak to the Holy Spirit right now, wherever you are.  “Mount up with wings as eagles, run and not be weary, walk and not faint.”  Appeal to Him, and let Him lead.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Perhaps you’ve traveled roads similar to the one in my picture this week.  The sunshine is streaming through the tree limbs.  It is a beautiful day for a ride.  The road seems to disappear underneath the protection of the big trees as it sneaks around the curve toward something we cannot yet see.

Now, imagine yourself behind the steering wheel of the car, and this is your view.  Perhaps you quickly realize that this is a very narrow road.  It is, in fact, just one lane.  And it is meant to only be traveled in one direction.  Thankfully, you are headed in the right direction.

Joshua, in the Bible book with his name, reminds God’s people that it’s time to make up our minds.  Which direction are we going to travel?  Are we going to follow the Lord, or are we not?  We are challenged there to make up our minds!

When you’re in a vehicle on a narrow-laned road such as the one pictured here, it would be very difficult to stop, turn around, and head in the opposite direction.  Yet sometimes, we are determined to do so anyway.  It would be so much simpler and easier if we just followed the Lord on His narrow path — even though we cannot see what’s coming around the next curve!

Life is a road.  I’ve discussed previously how we dodge pot holes or hit the speed bumps in life’s travels.  Those are all just a part of the traveling experience.  We deal with it, and we go on.

Why not just trust the Lord to lead?  Yes, the road is narrow.  It was meant to be.  Yes, it only leads in one direction.  That’s all we were meant to travel.  Yes, unknowns lie around the curve.  Ah, but if I knew everything I would find around the next bend in the road, what would be challenge of the ride?!

Buckle up.  Drive slowly if need be.  Enjoy the scenery and the Sonshine.  And enjoy the ride.  Trust Him to be your GPS.  It’s worth it!

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Do you ever need a translator?  Sometimes, as I listen to the young folks around me or when I hear some of the more popular music of today, I wish I had a translator to help me understand what’s being said.  My southern self not only speaks slower than some, but it also hears at a slower rate.  Don’t put me in front of a kid who is rattling off something very fast.  I’ll miss half of what he’s saying.  I can’t hear at that rate of speed!  I need a translator.

On a trip to Paris a few short years ago, I took many photos of local architecture and the many, many water fountains and fixtures.  My photo here is of one of those.  It looks simply like the end of a building or some such structure.  However, look closer.  It is a water feature.  Near the top, chiseled into the stone, are these words, “FONTAINE SAINT MICHEL SOUS LE REGNE DE NAPOLEON III EMPEREUR DES FRANCAIS CE MONUMENT A ETE ELEVE PAR LA VILLE DE PARIS AN MDCCCLX.”

Now, unless you can read French, you likely have no idea what you’ve just read.  You need a translator.  What is written there above that fountain is, “Saint Michel Fountain under the reign of Napoleon III Emperor of the French this monument was erected by the city of Paris in MDCCCLX.”  

And, unless you’re particularly proficient with Roman numerals, you also need a translator of such to help with that last portion “MDCCCLX,” which would be our year 1860.  The letter M is 1000, D equals 500, each C is another 100, and then add L (50) and X (10), and you get 1860.

Life needs translation for us some days.  We are privileged to have different translations of the Bible, which can aid greatly in sharing God’s Word.  Translating helps me understand, and I need all the help I can get.  Don’t you?  Don’t be afraid to ask the Lord to help you understand what you read in the Scriptures.  Ask Him to “translate” His Word upon your heart, to help you grasp the meaning of what you read, to give you a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit in order to apply that Word upon your life.

Without a translator, I would have been forever lost in France.  Without the Lord’s translator – the Holy Spirit – to help me understand His Word and apply it and accept Him into my heart, I would be forever lost.

Let the Lord speak to you and help you understand the otherwise understandable in this world.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

My wife and I are proud members of our local Lions Club, part of the world’s largest service organization.  We enjoy the club and are thankful for the things we get to sponsor.  One of our fundraisers is our Brunswick stew sale.  Before I even explain, I wanted to give you an official definition of the stuff, so naturally I ‘googled’ it.  The all-wise and mighty world wide internet (ha!) describes Brunswick stew thusly – “Brunswick stew boasts a rich Southern history.  The original Brunswick stew was said to be made with little more than onions and squirrel,” and, “Brunswick stew is an iconic Southern dish, stuffed with controversy as well as pretty much everything else in your garden.”  — And that pretty much sums it up!

We spend several hours cooking four or five very large black cast iron pots full (nearly 90 gallons in total this time) of what is considered a delicacy in these parts!  I won’t give away all of our secrets, but we use ground beef and chicken, not squirrel, in case you were wondering.  We know how much of what is supposed to go into each different-sized pot, we load them up that way, and once the fire is lit, we stir constantly with boat paddles for the next three hours or so until we shut off the heat and start dipping it into containers for those who have purchased some.

What is just as interesting and has just as many ingredients is our visiting and conversations that take place throughout the stew-cooking process!  We reminisce about the local history, who’s kin to whom (I learned some knew ones this time!), and we enjoy one another’s friendship and laughter through the mania it is!

You see, it isn’t just the beef and chicken and tomatoes and okra and potatoes and onions and lima beans and broth and seasonings and other stuff that make our stew so good.  It’s the time, the effort, the stories, and the people who are a part of it all.

God’s church is just like one of those big stew pots.  It takes all kinds, sizes, and flavors of ingredients, stirred together with loving care and plenty of good conversation that make it what it is – a love-filled haven of rest for weary soldiers marching up to Glory.

I look forward to those stew days.  I’m admittedly grunting and groaning for a day or two afterwards, but as I told one or two folks this past weekend, I consider it a “good tired.”  We’ve done good, we’ve supported and financed good, we’ve eaten good, and it felt good.  And God has told me to do good.

Fix some cornbread, grab the saltines, or pour yours over rice and enjoy the fruits of your labors in the Kingdom.  When the end has come, I promise you that it will without a doubt be a “good tired.”

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

Let me start off by asking you to take a look at this picture.  What do you see?  Many of you might answer simply, “a church building.”  That is true, but I believe it’s more than that.

I’d like to boldly say that I believe if you’ve never worshipped in a small country church, you have truly missed a blessing from Heaven.  This particular church is a few miles from where I live.  I have visited it many times in the past, and recently officiated a funeral service there.  I’ve been to at least one large homecoming service there, other worship times, and dinner “on the grounds.”

Each of those activities have had the same meaning for me in much larger church buildings and facilities as well.  I’ve worshipped corporately with hundreds of other believers in much larger churches than this, and each church has its own benefits and drawbacks.

Having said all that, I want to ask about the church you attend.  Do you feel you aren’t receiving the instruction, the leadership, the guidance that you should be getting from your church worship and study gatherings?  Before you throw in the towel and start looking for another church – be it much larger with its multiple opportunities, or much smaller with an everyone-knows-everyone family style – let me suggest that you instead look at the original “church house.”

We, as Christians, are the church.  The building may have its benefits.  The gatherings certainly do.  But we are individually the church.  If I’m not receiving what I believe I need to receive from worship, then I need to first ask myself to look at what I’m giving to the worship experience.  If I leave church thinking I’ve gotten nothing from it, then I need to ask myself, “What did I put into it?”

I have been privileged to visit church buildings in several states across our country, our National Cathedral, and Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.  Not one of those buildings, in all their physical glory or lack thereof, can provide for me what the Lord can, if only I open my heart (my church) to Him and give Him my all.

Ask yourself this week — “How’s church lately?  And what and I contributing to the worship experience?”

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

If you are reading this, then you somehow survived the year of 2022.  You may possibly be wrestling with thoughts of how to go forward in 2023.  I would like to offer a suggestion or two.

First of all, instead of complaining about all the tough, terrible, discouraging, and painful things that you experienced last year, try thanking God that He brought you through every single one of them.  Think back on every blessing, every new friend, every smile made or given, every opportunity you had to share the love of God with someone else.  Did you give it your best?  If not, then may this year be your year.

I’m one of those folks, especially around the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday season, who enjoy and appreciate my same-old year-after-year routines.  The same goodies, the same decorations, the same gatherings, in the same places.  However, this year I decided to try a couple of new things.  I enjoy baking.  And I enjoy simplicity.  So, I found a couple of simple recipes and tried my hand at them both for the very first time.  Take a look at the photo to see my first-ever homemade pecan pie and cheesecake.

Even if I did make them, my family members said they tasted good.  I’ll make them again.  I’m glad I tried two new ‘firsts’ this year.  And in 2023, I intend to make a point to attempt some other new ‘firsts’ as well.

For you, 2023 may be the year for you to trust in God for the first time.  You can give Him yourself, warts and all, and let Him ‘bake’ something good from your mess.  Or, this may be the year for you to retire and finally relax for the first time in a very long time.  You may attempt a new job, move to a new home, get married, or yes, even bury a loved one.  But in each of those ‘firsts,’ the Lord promises us good things will come.  And everything will somehow bring glory to God.

My challenge to you – and to myself – is to try some new ‘firsts’ this year.  Make this the first year in a long time that you’ve really looked forward to.  Put Him first in your life, and what a difference it will make!  After all, there is that one ‘first’ that makes it all worthwhile — “We love Him, because He first loved us.”

May I be one of the first to wish you a blessed new year.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell –

Just a thought to help start your week.

One thing the Christmas holiday season reminds us about is that God sent His Son as a tiny baby to this earth.  This Christ child grew and became a man – fully man and fully God at the same time.  He died a cruel death on a rugged cross and gave His life’s blood for you and me.

But then what?  He didn’t stay dead.  Did you know that we Christians are the only ones who can truthfully say we serve a living God?!  All other religions – ALL of them – serve gods that are dead and in a grave somewhere.  But not us!

In the Rose Hill Cemetery in Meridian, Mississippi, are the graves of Emil and Kelly Mitchell and some of their family members.  Emil and Kelly were, respectively, the King and Queen of the Gypsies.  Their graves are marked as such.  They had a great following.  They were locally famous, and memories of their connections remain on both sides of the state line in our area.

It is said that many thousands of gypsies from around the world came to their funerals.  Great productions they were, great shows they presented, and, for some, great memories are left.  But those folks – the King and Queen – are long gone from this world.  Out of curiosity, I have visited their graves, and I’ve seen the coins and trinkets that are left behind by others.  But there is nothing any more special about those graves than about any others.

I’m so very thankful that I can say I serve a risen Savior Who is King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  He once had a grave, but up from that grave He arose on the third day!  And He lives forevermore!  He has no grave to visit.  There is no broken tombstone.  There is no place for trinkets and memorials to be placed.

But at the feet of my King Jesus, I can place all that I am and all that I have – not as a memorial to a dead king, but as an offering to THE Risen King!

As the holidays come and go and another year looms on the horizon, ask yourself this question – What King do I serve?  And what King to I pledge to serve in the coming year?

Just a thought.