The Circle Gets Smaller

Not really sure if this is good or not, I would love you comments. As I get older I find that the circle of people around is getting smaller. Over the years I have lost family members and friends to death and there have been others that have moved away due to jobs or to get closer to family. Those events are just a part of this life and something that all of us must learn to accept. But as I get older I have found that I begun to cherish and seek out time to spend with fewer and fewer people. I know this sounds a little strange for a Pastor to say. Don't get me wrong, I love being with the people of our church and I love meeting new people and ministering in our community and denomination. Maybe I feel this way because my children are getting older and we do not get to spend a lot of time together. Maybe it is because my Mom, brother and his family live in another state. All I do know is that I have begun to cherish the time that Debbie and I get to spend with them. I believe this pattern was true in the life of Christ. As He neared His death on the Cross, He drew the disciples to Him in the Upper Room. As He went to the Garden to pray He called on the inner circle of Peter, James and John. Perhaps at the crucifixion it was only John and Christ's mother, Mary. We need to cherish the time we spend with anyone because things can change so quickly in this life. Who is your "inner circle"? Can you trust them? Are they good influences on your life? Maybe we need to be more careful who we spend our time with! Is Christ a part of your inner circle? Do you cherish your time with Him? As we face the end of this life, He is the only One that will be there. What a joy it is to know He will escort us from this world into eternity with Him!

It is a snow day in Arkansas. It is still hard for a boy from South Georgia to get use to snow! I sit here reflecting back on 25 years of service here in North Little Rock and over 30 years in the ministry. If there is one word that would describe what I feel it is GRACE. The Lord has saved me and kept me by His grace. It was His grace that called me to salvation, that enables me to grow as a Christian, and it will be His grace that leads me into His presence. His grace placed me in a family that loved the Lord and brought me up in a Christian home and loving church. I was privileged to have great Pastors and Youth Pastors that taught me the Word and challenged me to serve the Lord. The Lord graced me with good friends that supported each other in our walk with the Lord. I made a lot of mistakes growing up and I am thankful for the grace of God that protected me from allowing those mistakes to define me or hurt others. It was His grace that led me Welch College and into full time Christian ministry. Perhaps His greatest act of grace, a part from my salvation, was giving me my wonderful wife Debbie. God then graciously gave us three children with wonderful hearts for service. By His grace we have served three wonderful churches in Nashville, Savannah, and North Little Rock. Many have asked me how we have stayed 25 years in one church-It is grace! The people of North Little Rock have been extremely gracious to our family and especially to me. It is all about His grace! Where would we be without the grace of God? I do not want to think about that!