By Ryan Kelly

I had the joy of spending a fun and relaxing weekend with my family.  Although most weeks are like this for us, this one was particularly fun for me.  I was able to really take in the blessing that my children and wife are to me, and I was able to spend special moments with them.

One thing that we are working to do is make more activities “family activities.”  For instance, when my daughter had gymnastics practice this week, we all went as a family to watch her.  When my son wants to go to the park, we all go to the park.  It’s the little moments together that keep a family together.

Life is going to try and tear families apart.  When families are separated, they cannot benefit the Kingdom nearly as well as a family united.  Although this separation can start small and innocently, it can result in detrimental conclusions.

Jesus states in Mark 3:25 that, “a house divided cannot stand.”  Although this message has multiple application points, I believe that the notion of a united family is among the most important.

Families must remain strong.  Families must remain together.

In this age it’s a given that life is going to pull your family in 100 different directions.  My encouragement is to reject that temptation and find ways to stay together.  Even if it means sacrificing extracurricular activities or important meetings, you’ll never regret spending more time together as a family.

 

By Brad Campbell

Just a thought to help start your week.

A little fuzzy due to the tree limb between me and the deer, but pretty obvious that I was being watched!  Deer have extremely sensitive hearing and sight, and it’s very difficult to get a still photo of one that senses your presence.  But I like to try, and this one was simply walking around in our yard.

Do you ever get the feeling you are being watched?  Children pay attention to the adults. The outside world pays attention to the church and God’s people.  My Dad’s mother used to thoroughly enjoy sitting on a bench in the mall and watching people.  (She talked about them out loud, too, but that’s another story!) 

To be watched can be an unsettling thing.  But it can also be a wonderfully comforting thing to realize that someone or SomeONE is watching you!  God watches you always.  His eye is always on you.  Nothing escapes His notice.   

This week, you will never be out of His sight.  And the simple reason is because you are dear to Him.  Enjoy God’s creation.  Love the deer, but remain ever aware of the love of One Who considers you much more dear to His heart.

Just a thought.

By Brad Campbell

Just a thought to help start your week.

If you can read all the small print, you will see that this sign says “Jazz Funeral, where people are dying to come in”.  This place of business, located in the heart of New Orleans, puts a unique spin on the traditional funeral.  While you may not have thought much about your own funeral arrangements, some folks plan theirs in advance.

One particular funeral I officiated recently was one of those that had been planned long before, but it, too, had a unique spin.  There was no body, because it was donated for research.  We told funny stories, we shared happy memories, we sang favorite hymns, and we had a potluck lunch for everybody, because that is what this person planned and wanted!  And it was a glorious celebration of life!

You may not think of “jazzing” up your funeral, but why not?  As a Christian, that time should be a celebration of our life here and a rejoicing of the future set in eternity with our Heavenly Father!

Whether you are planning your funeral or not, you need to be preparing for that moment in time when you will leave this world.  Are you truly prepared to meet your Maker?  Have you given your heart and life to the Lord Jesus Christ?  Have you confessed your sins?  Forgiveness awaits!  And for the Christian, no jazzed up fun time here can even compare to the celebration that will take place when we meet our Master face to face.

Preparing for the Celebration, this is just a thought.

By Brad Campbell

Just a thought to help start your week.

This picture comes from a small “museum” of sorts in Vicksburg, MS.  Just as the label reads, the objects here are “Chunky Stones”.  Native American Indians would throw sticks to mark a spot and guess where the rolling stone would stop.  My little hometown of Chunky, MS, was given that name because of this particular game the area Indians would play.

You may feel as if you’ve been “chunked” out into the world in another brand new week, not knowing where you will roll or when you might stop.  Others guess or tempt or cause you to stumble and stop along the way, but the more you roll ahead, the further you can go and the more you can accomplish.

Don’t let the world around you dictate your stopping point!  Roll on.  Some of us are a little more “chunky” than others, but it just gives us more to roll.  Chunky – it’s a good place to be, it’s a good thing to be, and it’s the game of life.  You will never know how far you could have gone if you stop rolling.

Just a thought.

By Ryan Kelly

“They came to Jesus and woke Him up, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And He got up and rebuked the wind and the surging waves, and they stopped, and it became calm.” Luke 8:24

By Brad Campbell

Hi all. Just a thought to help start your week.
This sign is mounted in one of many displays deep inside the U.S.S. Alabama. It represents a generation gone by. So many things were different for our nation 50 and 60 years ago, but one thing remains. Bread is essential to life.

Physically, we must eat to survive. Of course, bread tastes much better with something spread on it, but the fact remains that we need bread to live.

One of the many names for Jesus Christ is the “Bread of Life”. He is essential to life. This Bread is the key to everlasting survival! His Bread, and His alone, can guarantee you salvation and a place in Heaven.

Bread. It’s a simple thing. But without it, society could not survive. The same is true for the living Bread. Without Him, there is no life. Share the Bread with a starving world this week!

Just a thought. 

By Ryan Kelly

One of my favorite movies is Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. The reason is because of the scene at the end where Jones has to pass the test which is a “leap of faith.” Before him was a deep cavern with no bridge to the other side. Crossing the cavern was the only way to save his father, but there was no apparent rational way to cross. It seemed to him that crossing would be disastrous. 
Have you ever felt like this in your life? When you got to the end of your path and had no rational way forward, did you trust in God with your step forward?  

Hebrews 11:1 states, “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see.” Sometimes God wants us to have faith in Him without knowing a rational reason for our next steps. 

Sometimes the destination is less important than the journey there. 

We will face many trials, tests, and leaps of faith in life. They will happen. So, do you truly have enough faith in God for Him follow through and guide your paths?  

Are you willing to trust in God more than yourself?  

By Brad Campbell

Just a thought to help start your week.

When we were kids, we enjoyed pretending to be someone else or somewhere else.  To pretend opened up new worlds and experiences!  Well, this morning I received notice from my particular social media profile that my account had been hacked.  Actually it said that someone had set up a fake account and was “pretending” to be me!  My first thought was, “How absurd!”  Why on earth would anybody pretend to be me, of all people?

I snapped this photo on a side street in the town of Tours, France, last summer.  I’m not sure Hell has a kitchen.  After all, food is a pleasure, and Hell has no pleasure.  But anyway, either the experience in this establishment is one to dread, or the food is pretty hot. Maybe they’re just pretending to be “hot stuff”. 

Too many people play pretend even into adulthood.  We put on fake faces to cover our feelings.  We pretend to enjoy a terrible job.  We pretend to be happy when inside we are hurting greatly.  We go to church and pretend to be a Christian when we have never given our heart to Jesus.

Whatever you’re choosing to cover up today, it’s time to quit pretending.  Let the Father know your hurts, your thoughts, you feelings, and your disappointments.  He’s a real God. He will be real with you.  Be real with Him.  Or continue pretending to be the Christian you know you really aren’t, and one day you can let the rest of us know just how hot Hell’s kitchen really is.

Just a thought.

By Ryan Kelly

This picture is of St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans.  My family and I took a quick weekend trip to the city to see The Lion King at the Saenger Theatre and the Aquarium of the Americas.  The kids loved it!

I noticed something very apparent during our trip, though. The attitude of the people around us greatly affected our attitude at the time.  Here are some examples.

At the hotel, we were greeted by very friendly bell hops and attendants to check us in. This marked a very positive start to the vacation and put us in good spirits.  That night, we went to a restaurant where the waiter was pretty slow, but very friendly.  Despite the slowness of the service, his charming smile and friendly attitude made up for the service and still put us in a good mood and made the evening very nice.  In contract, though, we had another meal before leaving where the waitress was prompt and attentive, but she clearly had a bad attitude and an uncaring heart toward what she was doing.  This put a damper on the entire day and soured us before leaving.

So, why bring up this point?  It is because our attitude affects others.  You see, God created us to be social people.  Our spirit rubs off on others in either a positive of a negative way. None of us are perfect and we will all make mistakes.  But, when we have a kind, loving attitude toward those around us, it makes up for our shortcomings and encourages others. When we have a bad attitude, it also affects others in a negative way.

Paul tells us in Philippians 2:1-30, “So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.”

So, in whatever you do, think first of the impact you will make in someone else’s life and try to have a positive attitude.  I promise you that it will open more doors for witness and positive influence than a negative attitude ever would…

By Brad Campbell

Just a thought to help start your week.

You know by now, of course, that we have a new President, sworn in to office just a few short days ago. Regardless of your political stance, you must certainly realize the racial turmoil and enormous divisive nature of the past eight years. As we look forward to days ahead, we are reminded in God’s Word to pray for our leaders. Pray for those in authority. Pray for their decision-making processes. Pray for their safety. Pray for their families. Just pray.

Will God use President Trump to heal the hurts in our great land? I believe God can use any of us who allow ourselves to be used of Him. And we all desperately need to be used of Him.

Republican or Democrat – it doesn’t matter. What matters is that we remain as One Nation, Under God. This photo, taken last summer at the American Cemetery in Normandy, France, is a picture of exactly why we are to stand together as Americans! Too many lives have been given to provide for your freedoms. And One Life was given to provide for your salvation!

Vote your conscience. Then, when the totals are counted – win or lose – pray for those who hold the elected offices. And pray that we here at home will remain faithful to lift them all up to the Lord. I believe God will bless American again. Let’s pray together for it to be so.

Just a thought.