Are You A ‘Kingdom’ Person? Part 2 – Communication With The Father

June 18, 2015June 18, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / 4 Comments

It’s an important question and how you answer it will decide how fruitful your spiritual life will be. A ‘kingdom’ person is keenly aware of the ‘moving’ of the Lord in his/her generation. And they’re willing to accept their place in the Body of Christ to make a difference with their life.

Kingdom people have a genuine relationship with the Father and they communicate with Him on a regular basis. The Bible says that we didn’t choose God….He chose us! That’s pretty amazing if you think about it. God could be anything He wanted to be…..and His choice was to be a Father to us. Jesus came to reveal Him, as Father, to us. Even when the disciples asked Jesus how to pray He answered, “Pray like this…..our Father……” That’s Jesus, God’s only begotten Son, giving you and I permission to relate to, and interact with, God exactly like He did! If we don’t wake up to that reality we’ll miss much of what life’s about.

It seems that some people think it’s the Pastor’s job to communicate with God for them….but that’s not true. In fact, it’s ludicrous! Father’s have a driving desire to communicate with their children. Now, think about it; God invented this ‘Father’ stuff and He’s a lot better at it than we are. I’m a dad to 5 awesome kids. They’re all pretty much grown up now but I still love to communicate with them. I like to hear what they’re interested in; I’m concerned when they’re going through trials; I care about every area of their life. I don’t want to intrude but I do want to help them and their families in any way I can. Well as much as you can agree with those things….God’s more interested than I could possibly be! Your pastor is important but remember, your Father wants to talk to you! Kingdom people communicate with their Father!

“100”

June 16, 2015June 16, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / 6 Comments

I was actually kind of surprised to realize that I had made it up to 100 Blog Posts since January 1! That happened fast! I guess it’s a ‘milestone’. Writing has been something I’ve enjoyed for quite awhile now. I started writing years back when my friend Derek Manning, who owned a newspaper in nearby Elk City, Oklahoma, asked me to write a weekly article for his paper. Although Derek has since sold the newspaper I’ve written over 600 articles! A few years back Melanie Cole, owner of the Cheyenne Star Newspaper, started to put the articles in her paper. I’m grateful for both her and Derek because it has helped me to develop a talent that was pretty much untapped. I was a little intimidated at first but once I got ‘untracked’ I found that I really enjoyed it. I look now at the things I wrote 7 or 8 years ago and I do think that I’m getting better at putting my thoughts down. It has been very therapeutic for me, too. Writing, for me has really helped me get in touch with my emotions. There’s just something about writing from the heart that’s good for a soul!

I try my best to keep the posts from getting long….but there are some stories that you just can’t tell in 300 words. (that’s my target #) So, I try to keep ’em fairly brief. I’m getting better at condensing! My Blog, “The Way I See It”, has been good for me but my primary reason for writing in the first place is to help others. I’ve learned a lot in 61 years, and still have a lot more to learn, and I enjoy passing along some of those things to people who are interested.

I love feedback so anytime you read something that really ‘speaks’ to you….let me know about it. *Best case scenario.…go to andyrtaylor.com and click the “Follow” link. You’ll get an email every time I make a post. Please feel free to “Share” them with your contacts, too!

Here’s the numbers after 100 posts (in terms of ‘views’):

Views: 20,970 *(seems pretty amazing to me!)

Visitors: 10,650 *(equally amazed!) For the full stats, click here

**If you do go there…under “Posts & Pages” you can see the Top-10 Blog Posts (# of Views)

Which Blog has been your ‘favorite’……and why??

VIP # 5 & 6 – Edith Yowell & Nellie Millar

June 11, 2015June 11, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

Definitely VIP’s! Edith Yowell was my first-grade teacher and Nellie Millar, my second-grade teacher. No kindergarten for me…in fact I don’t think they even had kindergarten in Reydon, Oklahoma in 1958. I mean, it was in the day of outhouses (fortunately we had indoor plumbing!). We did, however, have some neighbors who still had a dirt floor in their house.

My first day of school was a memorable one; I can remember the excitement of being a little kid embarking on some kind of great adventure. I met a bunch of new friends and some of them are still friends today. I’m pretty sure on the first day of school we got handed the book, “Tip”. It was a story about a dog. When we finished that one it was “Tip & Mitten”; a dog and a cat this time. Then not long after those it was “Fun With Dick and Jane”. Still remember those vividly.

My Mom and Dad already had me in the mode to read so I just devoured “Tip”, and “Tip & Mitten”. “Fun With Dick and Jane” was a little more challenging, of course, but I was really learning to read now. As I look back, and think back, it seems apparent that these two teachers had an incredible impression on me. I think there are several things that they taught and imparted but the most important thing I got from them was the desire to be a ‘reader’. Somehow they instilled in me the desire to read and that reading was fun, enjoyable and, almost always, productive. It’s a desire that I still have today! I’d definitely advise parents to instill the need to read in their kids. They’re going to have to be reading their whole lives. And to be a good reader just does nothing but good!

Writing is something that I really enjoy these days. I think I’ll be doing it for a long, long time. I can’t help but think how valuable to me Mrs Yowell and Mrs. Millar were to this process. I can’t say enough good about good teachers; they’re not paid enough in my books and their job isn’t easy. They have a tremendous responsibility….and opportunity, for that matter. I had some really good ones….maybe I’ll write something about them later. But, I’m extremely grateful for Edith Yowell and Nellie Millar! They got me headed in the right direction. They were some great ones!!

Faith……..Use it or Lose It!

June 4, 2015June 4, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

I had an interesting thought the other day. You know, as believers, we’re supposed to be people of faith. It doesn’t always work out that way in real life, though. I must admit that I don’t exactly have it perfected either. I’m working on it, and I’m better than I used to be but still have a long ways to go.

We’ve been ‘given’ (Rom 12:3) ‘the measure of faith‘. It’s actually a measure of the same quality of faith the the Father, Himself, has. That’s a pretty big deal if you think about it. It’s no flimsy faith; it’s faith that’s full of power. That’s very Biblical, by the way. We have a measure of the same kind of faith that the Father exercised when he ‘spoke’ the world into being!

This faith that we’ve been given is there for a myriad of reasons. For one, it’ll help us to navigate the events of life, good and bad, in such a way that we prevail in every circumstance. With this faith we’re encouraged in the Bible to “heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, cast out demons and communicate the good news to the poor”. But there are many people who actually never exercise their faith at all. It’s there lying dormant, but it’s there, nonetheless. It’s like having a fortune in our bank account but never writing a check on it.

What if we approached our faith like we do our vacation days with our work? Many companies give a week or two paid vacation to their employees. Some of those companies require that you use those vacation days before the end of the fiscal year. It’s use them-or lose them. Nobody really wants that to happen. I doubt the Lord looks at our faith like that. I’m sure He’s always blessed anytime we exercise our faith. But it wouldn’t hurt us to look at our faith that way. It might just motivate us to walk in faith a lot more.

It could mean more people saved, more people healed from diseases, more addictions broken, more marriages put back together, etc. Maybe we should view our faith from a “Use It or Lose It” standpoint!

Business = Finished!

June 1, 2015June 1, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

If you’re not familiar with the Professional Bull Riders organization this post might not mean much to you. And if you’re not familiar with the PBR….maybe you should be. Bull Riding is the most extreme of all the extreme sports. If you have a disagreement on that thought, go get on a bull and, chances are, you’ll quickly change your mind. Bull Riding as a sport has evolved over the past 20 + years into a high-profile, spectator friendly sport that has made celebrities of the bull riders, as well as the bulls. Sports arenas around the country are filling up when the PBR comes to town much due to the overt, raw danger of the sport and the vanishing individualistic nature of the, authentic, American cowboy.

An event was held this past weekend in Decatur, Texas unlike any Bull Riding event ever before, and almost assuredly, will never happen again. “Unfinished Business” pitted eight of the most high-profile PBR Bull Riders in the organization’s history, all retired for a number of years, riding for a, winner take all, $160,000 payoff. Cody Custer and Mike White, PRCA World Champions; Tater Porter, J.W. Hart, PBR World Finals Champions; Justin McBride, Chris Shivers and Michael Gaffney all PBR World Champions and Ross Coleman, perennial PBR World Finals Qualifier.

To say that these men had ‘unfinished business’ in the arena couldn’t be further from the truth. These eight guys left it all in the arena every single time they ever competed, without exception. Their primary reason for coming out of retirement for this, once in a lifetime, event was in the name of charity. I don’t care who you are, you gotta appreciate that! *(consider that a couple of them are nearing 50 yrs of age!)

Shivers and Hart rode their bulls and split the $160,000. The other six didn’t complete their 8-second ride. But, just like always…..they gave it everything they had…..one last time! I care about Bull Riding; I’ve been directly involved with it in one way or another pretty much my whole life. I’d like to see Bull Riding continue to come to prominence as a sport. My reasons are personal. But I look at the field of bull riders today and I wonder who’ll take the place of these men. I don’t see very many out there on the radar screen, today, the caliber of these guys in the way of sheer effort….and the desire to be ‘ambassadors’ for the sport. The door’s wide open for some ‘young guns’ to step up!

Thank you Cody Custer, Mike White, Tater Porter, J.W. Hart, Justin McBride, Chris Shivers, Michael Gaffney and Ross Coleman….for showing unprecedented ‘class’ with every ride and every interview your entire career! Thanks from us older guys that never had the opportunity to ride for a million dollars.

Thanks for showing the rest of the world what the sport of Bull Riding is really about! You finished your business…..and you finished it well!!

You ‘Can’ Get There From Here!

May 28, 2015May 28, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / 8 Comments

You’ve heard the old adage, “You can’t get there from here”, right? It’s kind of a tongue-in-cheek reference indicating that it’s next to impossible to make the change to get from one place to another. Can you imagine stopping for directions at some little out of the way service station in the middle of nowhere on how to get to your destination….and hearing the attendant say, “You can’t get there from here.” Well, we all know it’s not true but it definitely feels like that sometimes.

In 30 + years of ministry I’ve seen some amazing life transformations; mine for one!! I’ve seen people whose lives were in a worse mess than you can possibly imagine. I’ve seen marriages that were totally over and done with. I’ve seen those who were so entrenched in their sinful lifestyle that it looked as though there was no way out. I’ve seen people so hopeless that they could never believe that their life could ever be fixed. I’ve seen addicts and alcoholics who were so messed up they just couldn’t see out. I’ve seen those whose financial situation was in virtual ruin. I’ve seen plenty of people who sincerely believed that God would have absolutely nothing to do with them because of their stupid choices. And for all those to think that they could, somehow, end up with a decent life is so far fetched….it’s kind of like, “you can’t get there from here”.

But I’ve got good news…..no, actually it’s great news! God’s a ‘rescuer’!! He’s a ‘fixer’!! He’s never intimidated at the messed up state of our lives.He can restore any life and give it the significance that it deserves. It’s why we all need God. We’ll all make a monumental mess of our lives without Him.

So, if you’re in a place where you have no hope…..or if you’re wondering if your life could ever be livable and enjoyable, I’m here to tell you that it can! You ‘can’ get there from here!

Lives Matter!

May 27, 2015July 9, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / 1 Comment

Lots of conflict on the news lately. It seems that racial tension is nearly as high as it was in the ’60’s. I remember that. I actually thought we had made some major strides in overcoming that in the last few decades but it doesn’t take too many like Al Sharpton egging it on to get everyone stirred up again. In my opinion he’s used up way more than his fifteen minutes of fame!

The cry from communities like we’ve seen in Baltimore and Ferguson, MO is that “Black Lives Matter”. I could not agree more! It’s kind of a ‘no brainer’, huh? I saw a sign in a yard in a nearby town that says that “Police Lives Matter”. Agree again! The truth is, and only an idiot would argue otherwise, that all lives matter! I’m discouraged that in the greatest nation on the planet we’re even having this discussion. I don’t doubt that in many areas there are some strong prejudices and biases against minorities. I’m a country boy and I haven’t had to deal with that much, so I don’t consider myself an expert in the least. I just know it doesn’t work….it doesn’t work for anyone! It’s the classic ‘lose-lose’ situation!

I think we’ve gotta stop making it a ‘white’ issue, or a ‘black’ issue and make it a human being issue! “Do unto others as you’d have them do unto you” still works! I agree that it’s a deeper and more complex discussion and that there’s at least dozen or more points to be considered. But let’s not make it any more complicated than it already is.

If there’s anything positive going to happen, you and I should at least do our part. A good start is deciding that “Lives Matter”….. all of them! And anytime we see racial prejudices in our little world, we should step in, if possible, and be the voice of reason, righteousness and reconciliation. We should take the position of ‘peacemakers’ and see what happens. I know the Lord’ll bless the effort.

I doubt that many of my regular blog readers are racist…..hopefully none! So, in that sense….I’m preaching to the choir. But if you were to “Share” this post it might just hit someone that could make a huge difference. In the meantime, let’s all decide that “Lives Matter”!!

Maybe You Should Quit Whippin’ Your Own A#$!!

May 15, 2015March 5, 2019 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Did you see the movie, “Liar Liar”? You should. Jim Carrey, who’s about the funniest guy alive, in my opinion, is a lawyer who just can’t tell the truth about anything. He makes a vow to not tell a lie for a certain amount of time. At one point he goes into the bathroom in the courthouse and starts beating himself up. Someone comes into the bathroom and asks him what he’s doing, to which he replies, “I’m whipping my a#$!” It’s really pretty funny!

The world is a tough place; people can be cruel. It’s easy to find yourself on the receiving end of people’s bad intentions. Nothing pleasant about that at all. But in my 60 + years of experience, I’ve seen as much, or more, ‘self-inflicted’ pain, discomfort and mental anguish as the other kind. I really don’t think the Father likes us to do that!

Most everyone I know has made monumental mistakes in their lives. I’m pretty sure that most of us have regrets; things we shouldn’t have done; things we should have done differently; maybe even things we should have done but didn’t. It’s just kind of how life goes. We could keep our focus on those things and let them rule our lives today….or we could learn from them and move on.

Peter is a great example. He failed Jesus at a time when the Lord needed him the most. He denied Jesus three times in the dark hours before the cross, once to a little 12-year-old girl. In the greatest test of his life, he folded like a cheap lawn chair. But something happened to Peter after Jesus was resurrected. You know the story; Jesus took him aside and asked Peter if he loved Him three times. His encounter with Jesus, somehow, healed him from his epic failure. And the rest of the story: Peter was the most important man on the planet, as it relates to the plan of God, for the next 25 years or so.

If the Father doesn’t hold those things against us….maybe we shouldn’t either! One thing I know….our failures dim in comparison to Peter’s. We really should quit whipping’ our own a#$ and move on with our destiny!

You Don’t Have to Have Had a Good Dad to be a Good Dad…..!

May 12, 2015May 12, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

When it comes to dads I’ve had it better than about anyone I know! Cliff Taylor is about the best example of a dad you could possibly have. To this day he’s the hardest working man I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen him do business on his ‘word’ all my life. I’ve never once in my 61+ years seen him do one person wrong. He’s been a great example to me in every facet of his life. But more important than all of that is how he’s been as a dad. He gave my brother, Monty, and I a pattern of how a dad really ought to be. He helped us, nurtured us and loved us….both in word and in deed. So, as dads go, I’ve had the very best……I would have no excuse if I were a failure as a dad. I think I’m a decent dad myself. I doubt if I’m as good as he was but I’m still getting better, after 37 years.

These days I see lots of men that are good dads but one of the things that amazes me are these men that had a ‘no-good’ dad (by their own admission), but themselves are some of the best dads out there. I love that! I think much of it derives from wanting to do more for their children than was done for them. And the sense of pain and mental anguish that they might have experienced, they’re not willing to let their own little ones experience. I admire that a lot.

Of course, the best case scenario is that we had a good dad to begin with. I have learned something over the past 15 years or so and it proves to nearly always be true. As we come into our ‘sonship’ with the Father….we start to take on His characteristics. Those who are becoming aware of that sonship and who are engaging in relationship with the Father, I think, ….make the very best dads.

There’s so many benefits of connecting relationally with the Father and this is just one…..but it’s an important one! You don’t have to have had a good dad to be a good dad…..but if you’re in the process of learning to be a ‘son’ from the Father, you’ll be an exceptional dad!!

The Very Least We Can Do Is Have a “Day” For Them!!

May 10, 2015May 10, 2015 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Mother’s Day! Heck yeah! That’s a holiday we should all get behind. The value of a mother could never be over-communicated. Moms deserve to be recognized, honored and maybe even pampered a little. After all, they’ve spent a good deal of their life carrying, feeding, doctoring, nurturing, grooming, cuddling, cleaning up after, dressing, giving, shopping for, honoring, supporting, interceding for, building up, caring for, educating, fiercely protecting, taxiing to all kinds of activities, sacrificing for, encouraging, instructing, defending, gently correcting and most important of all……loving us and our children!

I’ve had the incredible blessing to have the greatest Mom in the world! She did all those things I listed above…and a whole lot more for my brother and me. As Mom’s go, she never missed a single thing in our growing up and has continued to be a voice of stability and encouragement in our adult years as well. She has always been extremely supportive in anything we’ve ever done and would fight a grizzly bear for us, even to this day! The older I get, the more I realize how important she has been to me in my life. I’m beyond grateful!

I would bet that nobody on earth could come close to being as good a Mom as mine, that is, until I married Julie and we had Clint after just being married a year! Then I saw her in action as a Mom and, I’ll be danged, she was just as good with our kids as Mom was with us. She put her own dreams on the back-burner and never wavered as an awesome Mom! Her whole life has been devoted to doing all those things listed above, and more, for our kids….for the past 37 years. There couldn’t have been a better one anywhere on the planet for our bunch. I don’t even have the words to adequately communicate how grateful I am for Julie, and the stability she’s brought to our home as a Mom! Don’t be surprised if you happen to look in the dictionary, under “mother”, and see a picture of Charlene Taylor and Julie Taylor. Because they embody, and exemplify, every single thing that an authentic Mother should be.

So to just have a ‘day’ to honor our Moms seems kind of like a ‘rip-off’ to me! We ought to have a Mother’s Month…..but if you can’t see your way to do that, be sure and make Today a great day for Mom! She deserves it!