WORKING ON FOCUS

Very few truly important things in life are without their complexities. Our "JOB", of course, is no exception. The same is true of Christian focus. If focusing was easy and simple, either in the natural or the spiritual, we'd concentrate better at work, every athlete would spend more time "in the zone," every student would get the maximum from his brain, and we would probably be further along in our spiritual journey than we are. As with all great endeavors, there is a need for practice when it comes to maintaining focus on God.

We who grew up playing and watching sports forget all the small but critical things about a sport that we picked up along the way, things we don't even remember learning. Football's level of complexity is amazing. So guess what. Winning teams practice a lot! They do drills that teach skills. They run plays, the same ones over and over. The point is to practice. We would not be good at our work without learning about it and making an effort to apply what we learn.

A good work environment also depends on good relationships, so they also require effort. In a similar way, we practice maintaining our focus as we practice the complex life and death endeavor of living life with God. One of the ways we practice maintaining a God-focus all the time is by spending some time focusing on God. If you don't have a regular time in which you give God all your attention by praying, reading the Bible, listening to God, writing down your thoughts while focusing on God stuff. This is THE KEY to being able to maintain a God focus. We can learn to maintain God focus all the time, but we must start by having God focus some of the time.

The Apostle Paul told the Thessalonian church to "rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances" (I Thessalonians 5: 16-18) which is a way of saying that it's possible to keep focused on God all the time, keeping aware of his presence just as He is aware of us. Paul was a practical fellow who didn't give unrealistic advice. To understand what he was getting at, we need to start with having a God focus some of the time. That means including some of our work time. Now unlike football practice, or some work, it doesn't have to be drudgery. In fact, if you stay at it, this will become the time that is the highlight of your day. But like football practice or learning our work skills, our time of focus is preparing us for something else. It's the prep for living the rest of the day with God. It's prepping us for Game-time, when the working hours and the other hours are equally and all part of our God time.

Seems to me that God time must be all-time and all the time must be God time.

Thanks FBCJ work coach.

Shane rides off...

I love that song "Happy Trails." You know it, "happy trails to youuuuuuu, keep smiling until thennnnnnn, happy trails to youuuuuuuuuuuu till we meeeeeet aaaaagain." Gen Autrey, the famous singing cowboy would sing it at the end of his show each week. Long time ago... it was only 30 minutes long, but what a 30 minutes it was.

I really liked those old westerns. It was easy to tell who the bad guys were and the women, well they knew there place. Now I don't mean that bad but in those times it was unusual to see a women in a role as a "BOSS" of the trail ride or other stuff. Ok, maybe running the salon, but then only if she could sing. I mean things were spelled out. You knew what to expect from everybody and you knew in the end Gene would be singing Happy Trails.

Where has our society gone wrong! Let me answer that with one word. EVERYWHERE! I personally believe it has to do with the switch on the man and woman roles in life.

I could not live without my Libby but I have not given up the role that I was brought up with of being the provider and protector and i could never give that role up. It would be like "demaning" yourself to give up that role.

Good grief, got off Happy Trails didn't I?

Any way, things for me have changed from the Gene Autrey show way of life. It may be time to sing the song for the last time. When what you are or what you have been for so long is taken from you have to face it that it is time to find a new role in life.

So we'll see. If would be mindful of my "search for significance" i would greatly appreciate it.

Something Holy Smells II

As I promised I am back to comment on the situation that I see continuing at FBCJ.

Yesterday Dr. Buckley preached his final sermon as "pastor " of First Baptist Church of Jackson Mississippi. Personally I found it to be an above level sermon from Stan. I would really say that about 69% of it was an outstanding message of Faith and Action.

As promised at his resignation Dr. Buckley stated his reasoning for resigning from FBCJ. Impulsive decisions and not bringing enough people along on some major actions were two of these reasons, but I have major concerns that a majority of those in attendance missed his real reason.

Stan came to one of those points in his life that Henry Blackaby says are the turning points when we encounter God and make a life altering decision causing us to step out on faith and to exercise, prove that faith by action. Stan was confronted with the old "two paths in the woods, one less traveled" thing. Stan's confrontation with God was a win win thing, as always, where God gave Stan a new direction requiring faith as will as action.

Of course the process for FBCJ was a rocky, to say the less, process and I don't accept that Stan realized the difficulty of the process. Here are the facts as I see them: (that's right in a list!)
1. NO vote taken in any meeting but one was ever united as one related to the "package" given Stan. The only one would have been, that being from the special projects committee.
2. FBCJ will be forced to raise it's budget for the next church year by more that $100,00 and greater if they are to treat the current staff properly and meet the obligation for Stan's packet..
3.The "Special Project" committee made a decision and it was a done deal.
4.Roberts Rules of Order are no where in the Bible.

I perhaps may rant about this topic at another time but I'm cutting this short because I would just like for it to be over.

When I left the FBCJ sanctuary yesterday I was hurting. Hurting because of the way a few people were treated openly. We should have been more kindly. Hurting because I saw the "organization" and "politics" of the big church more clearly than ever in my life. There is a large strain on my faith in the "organization" of the FBCJ because of the absence of openness from the leadership. I personally sent 9 e-mails asking questions of the "leadership" but got not returns. NOT ONE!

POLITICS! Oh LORD why do we have to feel the political thing in God's house of I've got power so listen to me so don't think for yourself. I'm a doctor, lawyer, or banker so you should take me more serious that others.

LORD rescue us from ourselves.

The bottom line is this (of course in list form):
1. Stan Buckley is no longer the pastor at FBCJ.
2. There are somethings that are in need of repair at FBCJ. Beginning with LEADERSHIP.
3. MOST OF ALL, GOD IS IN CONTROL!

Someting Smells Unholy

I'm sure you know and are aware of the recent resignation of the pastor at First Baptist Church.

I'm compelled to comment because I am a "Deacon" at this Large Old Church.

First, let's note that the pastor, Dr. Buckley, is not a close friend and I have had limited contact with this gentleman dispite being a deacon. What I Know as fact is that Dr. Buckley is a Christian man or of great intelligence. I know that he is very knowledgeable of the WORD of God and that he can teach the Bible with confidence. Dr. Buckley has a family and a wife and as far as I can tell he does a good job at being a father and husband.
Second, let me present several facts related to the Senior Pastor's ministry and relationship with the congregation of FBCJ. Dr. Buckley came from a church where the attendance in worship might be 400 on a good day. His previous church was a not so large church when compared to FBCJ. With that I would say that even the greatest preacher/pastor would he faced with challenges and probably make some mistakes. Some mistakes have been made, and everybody makes mistakes.

A large dissatisfaction with some "way we do things" became apparent after a "survey" was taken related to the changing of the "schedules" at FBCJ. The survey left no doubts that there was some division of the congregation of FBCJ in the way things were being done at FBCJ.

Dr. Buckley presented a major mission effort for the people for Haiti which produced a FBCJ giving effort of nearly $500,000. A wonderful mission project that has and continues to do many good things in that country and it's people. Except for a few procedural bumps the Haiti Project as gone very well and involved many members of FBCJ.

With this said let's be perfectly clear that NO "wrongful/bad stuff" have been said related to Dr. Stan Buckley. In my opinion he is a fine man that will continue to be used by God.

The facts continue:
Dr. Buckley has been out of the pulpit for a large number of Sundays for the last 3-4 months and decided to take advantage of a personnel policy that allows 7 weeks of sabbatical which he currently is enjoying.

Dr. Buckley resigned indicating that no one had asked him to resign and that God had given him release to leave FBCJ. Dr. Buckley also indicated that he had no plans to go to another church or organization. He resigned from his position of his on free will with no pressure from any group or individual.

Now comments on my part. If you are not under pressure from any group of individuals then where is the pressure coming from? WHAT IS THE DEAL??? We can then assume that Dr. Buckley had plans for his immediate future for maintaining his and his family's life style? or are we to assume that some "secret society" has taken it upon themselves to "help" FBCJ with it's problems?

It may be just me but if a man resigns from his job he HAS to have a plan to take care of the family or someone else has made a plan for him and his family. I don't mean GOD.

Recently the Deacon Body of FBCJ met to discuss the "transition" for Dr. Buckley. After much discussion, that group voted (split voted, As I saw it around 60/40) for a deal for Dr. Buckley. I will not go into the details because there are things being done as I write that may affect that deal. I will say this, if the deal goes as voted it will put Dr. Buckley in a position of putting FBCJ in a position of having to do better (increasing)in the area of "giving" than it has in the recent past or present under his leadership.

In my opinion either a deal was struck before any resignation was mentioned or Dr. Buckley is not the person I believe him to be by creating a very difficult situation for the staff and congregation of FBCJ.

Now don't take me wrong, we are talking about FBCJ which has a great tradition of doing great things for God. This is the same body of believers that raise over $500,000 for the building of a community in Haiti above the regular giving. The same FBCJ that has planted so many churches that are standing on their own and growing. But, don't take me wrong and do take me as the straight up person I am saying something just ain't right with this.

Dr. Stan Buckley will preach his final sermon as pastor of FBCJ on August 14. He has indicated that he will be more specific in his reasoning of resigning at that time. So I will save my final thoughts to the "POST DR. BUCKLEY ERA."

Give a little "butt?"

Just a thought, actually an extension of a thought from the past when we discussed the X-Auburn head coach, "Tubbyville", and his buy out. It was all about how simple it would be to give a very small part of the MILLIONS he receive towards fresh water for children in Africa that needed water for life.

Well ok for "Tubby" I can see that greed can be used by the devil in many ways. This thought is a little closer to the person as a whole or maybe the person's part. Today I saw where there was an increase in the number of "butt lifts" being done in the USA. GOOD GREIF!!! how much does it cost for a person to have their butt lifted???????? Why would a person want their "butt lifted"?? I tell you it takes more than not having it done and it would have to be a rather large amount for someone to be able to tell the difference. A "butt lift???Oh my God!!!!


OK, nose (get to the point), stomach (ok I can see that), breasts (all shapes and sizes). They are all expensive! What's next??

Let's keep in mind that those children, 30,000 a day, are still leaving this world for the next just because they don't have fresh warter to drink.


Could we stop thinking about our butts, noses, and our whatevers and put the funds that we can easly afford on a life saving effort.

HUH!!!???