Livin’ It Up

May 25, 2016March 14, 2022 / Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

There’s a phenomenon, I guess you’d call it, that I’ve observed down through the years. And it seems to have it’s effect just about every time….on whoever it’s applied on, or practiced with. It’s the thing of giving honor, or not giving honor, to someone. The conventional way of thinking is that when someone does something noble or noteworthy that we then honor them for their behavior. Makes sense from a logical standpoint. But, I’ve also seen that when we honor someone above their achievements that they nearly always without fail…..rise to a higher level of behavior, or performance. There’s plenty of people who would argue with that line of thinking but you can’t argue with real, genuine results! And again…..you get positive results nearly every time you do it. It seems to work in whatever venue it’s exercised in, whether in your own family, the workplace, the church, friendships or even with just casual relationships.

It works! But, the opposite side of the coin always seems to work, too (‘or not work’, might be a better description!) . When we don’t give that honor…..or when we ignore the actions of those that we interact with, or have a low opinion of them…..they will nearly always lower their behavior to that level, as well. It just does something to a person’s self-esteem. You can probably think about the times that you’ve been honored, ……or dishonored, maybe even overlooked and remember how it made you feel. I think something very profound happens when we give honor…..even before it’s earned.

I’ve said many times that in, being a pastor, it’s a lot more important for me to teach people ‘who they are’, than to teach them ‘what to do’. For me it’s obvious; when people begin to understand ‘who’ they really are (from God’s perspective)…..that’s when the behavior begins to really change….and it’s always a change for the better! He’s put an extremely high value on you, even called you His own sons and daughters. That makes me want to live up to my true identity!

People have a tendency to live up (or down) to the opinion you have of them.

If You Love Someone….You Should Tell Them!

It Feels Good To Be “Believed In”!!

Resistance Training

May 23, 2016March 13, 2022 / Andy R Taylor / 2 Comments

I’m far from a fitness guru….but I have been going to the gym several times a week for the past 10-12 years. It’s hard to tell by looking at me, though! In fact, in a conversation with a friend a couple years back I mentioned that I regularly go to the gym. He looked at me kinda funny, laughed a little smirky laugh and said, “Really, ….you go to the gym”?!! … It kinda hurt my feelings.

But, seriously, going to the gym is something I do enjoy. I read a lot of fitness articles, get a half dozen health and fitness emails and blogs a week. I’ve always been ‘health minded’, so to speak, and I still enjoy learning about health and fitness issues. There’s a lot of information, and a lot of opinions out there. Occasionally there is conflicting information but for the most part it’s pretty consistent.

A good, balanced workout plan should have some cardio exercise such as running, walking or biking. But along with the cardio, one of the things that all the fitness experts agree on, for all ages, is the need to include ‘resistance training’ into our workout regimen. “Resistance training can come in various forms, the most common being the use of free weights (barbells, dumbbells), universal weight machines, rubber exercise bands or even our own body weight. There are significant benefits of resistance training including bone, muscle and ligament strength, improved joint function, increased metabolism and improved cardiac function. If we’re serious at all about our own physical fitness it makes sense to include some resistance training.

I’m thinking that our spiritual health and well-being should also include a good dose of ‘resistance training’. If you think about it there’s hardly ever a time that we’re not enduring some kind of unpleasant situation in our life. It might be a relational challenge, financial situation, dealing with a problem child or family member or it might even be a physical ailment. Anytime you’re going up against any of these things….that’s resistance. And, just as physical resistance training helps to stabilize and grow our muscles, these things we go through go a long ways in strengthening our faith and our overall spiritual life. As hard as they might be, going through them,….in the long haul they’re very good for us. We’re being conformed into the image of Jesus….at least that’s what the Book says. And the trials of our lives are critical in that process.

So, if you’re going to the gym and getting your body in shape…be sure and add some resistance training. It’ll be good for you! And while you’re going through all the challenges that life offers,….don’t forget…..resistance training is vital for your spiritual health, too!

Pass these on to your friends if you like ’em!

Check these out:

What If It’s Not to ‘Break’ You,….but to ‘Make’ You?

‘Betrayal’ – Nothing Easy About It!

Here’s Our Chance!

May 12, 2016July 26, 2020 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

“I came here looking for something I couldn’t find anywhere else.” It seems to be the heart cry of a lot of people these days who are willing take a chance on the Lord…..or maybe even willing to take a chance on the church. We’re living in, what seems to be, very uncertain times. But there is a growing undercurrent of people looking for some ‘real’ answers to their real problems. They don’t want the ‘religious’, churchy, ‘holier than thou’ thing….and who could blame ’em? That never actually worked for anybody,anyway! No, they’re looking for something genuine, authentic, real. They don’t know what it looks like, or feels like……but they know what it doesn’t feel like. The church in America really needs to adjust to be relevant for the times we’re in. Our message is timeless…..but the methods of reaching the world are stale…..and everyone knows it except the people in the church. For some reason they’re the last to get the news. We won’t get many chances with these ‘searchers’; we better get it right!

Many of these people are desperate, desperate enough, in fact, to gamble and see if this God they hear us talking about exists or not. They’ll try, and try hard. At least that’s what I’m seeing of late. But when we make them feel like they can’t make it or make them feel like they’re not good enough…..they’ll believe that’s how God sees them, too. They think, “Hey, you don’t know me, but you don’t like me…..and you say you care less how I feel.” If we don’t act like we care and make them feel important ….they’ll, in turn, believe that they’re not important to Him. They won’t hang around for that! ….and again, who could blame ’em? Tragic!

Deep down, they all wonder if the Lord could really love somebody like them. They have an inner sense of destiny (that’s a God-given thing!) but they haven’t found anyone who can give them the key to help unlock those secrets. They’d say, “I ain’t tryin’ to be nobody, I just want a chance to be myself.”.

Here’s our chance! Let’s get it right!

*Oh, and by the way…..“I came here looking for something I couldn’t find anywhere else. I ain’t trying to be nobody, I just want a chance to be myself.” That’s the first two lines of the #1 country song by Buck Owens and Dwight Yoakum, “Streets of Bakersfield”! click here to watch.

Share these blogs if you find them helpful! Thanks….AT

Objects in the Mirror are Closer Than They Appear!

May 11, 2016May 11, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

I see that several times a day when I’m driving. It’s a little helpful warning printed on the side rearview mirrors of nearly every car manufactured today. I’d guess that they have prevented quite a few accidents through the years.

I think about looking at the rearview mirrors in life, especially those incidents, events and happenings that have caused us heartbreak and emotional pain. It’s kinda amazing how, even though we’re far past those things, that they can come up in our mind during the ‘dark’ times. Then when we start to give attention to them, which is common, for the natural mind, the feelings and emotions we experienced then….somehow become real again. I think this is one of those things that the Lord would really love to help us overcome.

I struggle with things like this from time to time. It’s crazy how past failures can come back to haunt you mentally if you’re not careful. These things have the potential to totally distract us and even worse they can dominate our attention and thinking to the degree that we lose our entire focus. I don’t think it’s necessary and I don’t think the Lord wants us to fret over things that have happened way back in the past…..especially since we can’t do anything about them now. The joy that we ought to be experiencing in this life seems to dissipate for me when I get in this mode.

If we go back to the analogy of driving a car it makes sense to look at the rearview mirror from time to time. It’s a safety factor. But if you think about it….it’d be insane to keep your focus on it all the time and never look ahead. I think that’s the logic we should use in life. We should definitely keep our focus on the Father! Maybe it’s productive to glance back every now and then and learn from past mistakes….but to keep our focus on those things is sure to cause a wreck!

Keep Your Eyes On The Road!

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

Identity Theft

May 5, 2016May 6, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

You hear about it all the time these days. Someone, somewhere, somehow gets the personal information on an individual. And, then that information is deliberately used to assume that person’s identity. It’s nearly always done to make purchases on everything imaginable including prescription drugs and clothes…..and just about every other thing you can think of. It’s very hard for authorities to find and catch the perpetrators because it’s usually hard to determine how they obtained the information in the first place.

I got an email a couple of months ago from a credit card company which I had a card from. There were three charges in the previous week that they somehow identified as ‘suspicious’. After looking at the charges it was obvious that I had become the victim of identity theft. It was a good ‘heads up’ move by the credit card company. If they hadn’t noticed it I would’ve probably just paid my bill and went on without ever knowing it. The transactions amounted to a little over $300 dollars. $250, and some, at a Publix Supermarket in the Orlando area. The other two totaling about $60 were used at gas stations in that area, as well. It was nice to find out that the credit card company covered those bogus charges.

There’s an even more serious case of identity theft happening today, and it’s happening in the church. There’s an outright ‘identity crisis’ and it’s affecting the the overall effectiveness of the whole church in a negative way. Here’s the issue at stake; For the longest time we’ve heard that we’re to be ‘servants’ of the Lord. That’s somewhat true….but only from a ‘functional’ position…..but not at all from an ‘identity’ perspective.

The Bible is crystal clear; the Father has called us His own sons….not servants. Sons have greater responsibility than just a hired-hand. And, they should….because sons…….have an inheritance! And, the difference in mentality and motivation between servants and sons is vast.

So, maybe it’s not so much a case of ‘identity theft’ as it is ‘identity forfeiture’. But, at any rate, we need to step into our true identity as sons and daughters and change the world!

Check these out from a year ago:

Are You God’s Servant??

The “Only Thing” That Really Works

FoMO

May 4, 2016May 5, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

Apparently it’s a ‘thing’ now; a real thing. Yep, heard it on the morning network news a week or two ago. They did a whole segment on it. FoMO; “Fear of Missing Out”. It’s a pervasive attitude or syndrome linked to the negative feeling of getting left out of something important, and something that other people might be invited to, or involved in.

I’m gonna say that long before someone came up with the name for it, we’d all felt that feeling before; probably quite a few times, the truth be known. Not a good feeling. No one wants to be left out. In fact, whether we really want to be involved or not….it does feel good to be invited and kept in the loop. Makes us feel important. Getting left out hurts our feelings and makes us feel insignificant.

I’ve got some good news if you’re feeling like the FoMo Mojo’s on ya’! Lucky for us the Creator of the Universe has extended an open invitation for us to be at this huge banquet sometime in the near future, date TBA. Right now there are people going out into the hedges, the highways and byways and inviting all those who, many times, don’t get invited to anything. It’s a big wedding party. The Bible calls this big party the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Gonna be some really important people there, including you! All the people attending have been handpicked and adopted into the Family by God, Himself.

It’s an RSVP event; If you said “yes” to Jesus….that’s an adequate reply. Your seat’s already reserved,…..and in the VIP section, no less! If you haven’t said “yes”, I would at the next opportunity. He really wants you to be there!

When we catch the reality of how much He loves us the FoMO won’t be an issue with us any more!

Check these out:

“Obviously, I’m God’s Favorite!”

The “Only Thing” That Really Works

The Truth Does Not ‘Set’ You Free!

If you find these helpful…..Please “Share” ’em with your Friends!

“Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death”

May 3, 2016May 4, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

If you were paying attention at all in American History class in school, you’ll remember that line. It was the one memorable line of a speech that Patrick Henry gave before the Virginia Convention on March 23, 1775, at St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia. He is credited with having swung the balance in convincing the convention to pass a resolution delivering Virginian troops for the Revolutionary War. Among the delegates to the convention were future U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson and George Washington. He concluded his famous speech by saying, “I know not what course others may take but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.”

Patrick Henry considered the possibility of liberty….or perhaps the potential loss of liberty to be a monumental thing to fight for. Apparently, the other members of the Virginia Convention agreed. For, after a few minutes of absolute quiet,….they agreed with Patrick’s plea to dispatch troops for the battle.

Freedom is a wonderful thing! It has an extremely high value. But, then again, it came at an extremely costly price. I sometimes wonder, though, if we appreciate it as much as we should, living in America. I think it does me some good from time to time to reflect on the reality that there has actually been bloodshed so that we can live in a nation so great….and so Free. If you need a reminder watch “Saving Private Ryan”! It’ll do as much to jumpstart your patriotism as anything I can think of.

Spiritually speaking, we’ve also been given liberty.….and not to minimize the liberty we have as a nation at all….but the liberty we’ve been given as believers came at an even greater price. It too was a result of bloodshed! Only this time it wasn’t by some great military effort that we attained freedom. Nope….it was the willful act of one solitary Man that purchased our freedom…..once and for all. The battle would never have to be waged again!

The question would obviously be raised, “What did we become free from?”. Good question. First off, and it’s a big one, we are now free from sin…..and, equally as significant, the penalty of it (which is eternal separation from God)! And, if that’s not enough for you….we have been set free from the Law and the penalty for breaking that, too! Oh, …..and don’t forget the freedom from ‘dead religion’; you’ll appreciate that one, as well!

“We have been called to liberty”, that’s what Paul said in one of his letters. And, it saddens me that anytime we start talking about liberty around the church…that some over-religious, self-righteous, Pharisee-minded (well, I better stop there!) person immediately starts talking about compromise, and sin. Paul went on to say that we shouldn’t use that liberty as on opportunity for the flesh.

I seriously doubt that any of us are living out the extent of freedom and liberty that Jesus died for us to have, and that grieves me. But, I’m working on it; it’s on my list of things to do! And, if it’s true that we aren’t living out the fulness of that liberty that He’s purchased for us at such a costly price…..then we’re not experiencing the fulness of life that we should be! I think I’m going with Patrick Henry on this one…..“I know not what course others may take but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.”

Check ’em out:

You Got to Me Too Late!

“Freedom’s Just Another Word” …… But It’s a Whole Lot More Than That!

“Nothing I Can Do About it Now”

May 2, 2016March 7, 2020 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

A day or two ago I was listening to my favorite XM station and one of Willie’s songs I’d heard several hundred times before caught my attention. The words, that I’ve sang along with by memory for as long as I can remember, caught my attention. And I thought to myself, “I need to write a little something up about that.”. The song, “Nothing I Can Do About it Now”, (click here to listen) is probably a testimony of Willie’s about some of the mistakes he’s made in his life. I think the reason it resonates, so, with me is ……it’s kinda my testimony too. And, truth be known, probably about 90% of the people reading this little blog can readily identify with it, as well.

Willie, whether you like him or not, will go down in history as one of the greatest country songwriters of all time. (I’m a huge admirer of songwriters!) Example: He wrote country classics, “Crazy”, “Night Life”, and “Funny How Time Slips Away”, all in a 24 hour period! Think about that one for a minute! And, again, whether you like him or not he’s already staked his claim on country music immortality. Generations after you and I are gone when anyone mentions “Willie”, everyone’ll know exactly who they’re talking about.

I first saw Willie in the ’60’s on the Wilburn Brothers Saturday afternoon TV show. It was a ritual in the Taylor household to watch country music on Saturdays. Willie was clean cut wearing a suit and tie and was an exceptionally good guitar picker. And he never really reached a broad following until the ’70’s when he donned the bandana and the braids. Armed with “Trigger” (his trademark guitar) he took on the ‘outlaw’ persona and literally millions of new, and younger, fans took note! And, as they say,…….the rest is history!

“Regret is just a memory written on my brow, and there’s nothing I can do about it now”. Like Willie’s song, most of us have a long, long list of regrets and if we’re not careful we’ll let those regrets affect who we really are and how we live out the rest of our lives. After the Lord rescues us we mustn’t let those blunders rule our lives. It just wouldn’t be right, considering what Jesus has done for us! Willie addressed that very thing, “And I could cry for the time I’ve wasted, but that’s a waste of time and tears” “And I know just what I’d change if I went back in time somehow, but there’s nothing I can do about it now”.

Can’t do anything about it; its true. But what we can do is not keep on doing things that we know will bring deep regret; quit making the same old mistakes. And if you’re a youngster reading this, let the song,….or these words, (or better yet, the Holy Spirit) steer you away from doing dumb stuff. Life’ll be a whole lot better for ‘ya!

And for the rest of us….that got that news too late, ….we’re forgiven! Willie’s concludes his song by singing, “I’m forgiving everything that forgiveness will allow, and there’s nothing I can do about it now”.

Check these out:

“I Keep A Close Watch On This Heart Of Mine”

“I Ain’t No ‘Fortunate Son’”

The Silver Bullet Lounge

April 26, 2016April 13, 2020 / Andy R Taylor / 6 Comments

If you were around in the ’80’s you’ll surely remember the Silver Bullet Lounge. The Silver Bullet Lounge was the name of the pub in a Coors Beer commercial. Coors introduced their Coors Light beer in 1978. It contained significantly fewer calories than their regular Coors beer, which appealed to anyone who was calorie minded. Beer lovers could enjoy their brew without compromising on taste (or so I hear! lol), and not worry about stacking on more pounds. I’m still not sure if that was a great win for our culture or not but there are plenty out there who would surely argue that it was!

Coors Light was produced in an attractive silver can that quickly took on the name, likely due to a brilliant marketing ploy by Coors, Silver Bullets. As far as I know, Coors Light drinkers are still calling them that nearly 40 years later.

Just about the time my life was turning around that Silver Bullet Lounge commercial was airing on TV (you can watch it by clicking, here). The setting was in a local pub; everyone was happy and laughing, lots of friendly conversations going on; there was a real sense of community, authentically pleasant relationships and most of all….genuine joy! Now, whether or not that actually happens all the time is anybody’s guess but it probably does happen quite a bit. I thought, as I watched that commercial, “You know, if I could find a church that had that kind of atmosphere…..I think I might go”!

My impression of the church in those days was that almost everyone I saw didn’t really look happy or content. And, it seemed that all the good characteristics that the Silver Bullet Lounge had…..were somehow missing from the church. Now, agreed, that’s not a fair assessment of the church seeing that I wasn’t in it….but that’s how it looked from a distance. But honestly, after all these years……doing what I do, I still see a lot of church people who don’t display any degree of joy. Kinda sad if you ask me.

Now before you get all twisted up about it,……I’m not advocating that you head on out to the Silver Bullet Lounge. (Although if you do, you won’t get any grief from me.) But I still contend that we should have all those qualities that they have there, in abundance around the church. It oughta be a happy place! There oughta be a lot of friendly conversation going on; People oughta be laughing….and laughing a lot! There should be an atmosphere of good, genuine and healthy relationships….all the time! If it was like that you might really be surprised who’d come and join in!

We could learn a little somethin’ from the folks down at the ‘ol Silver Bullet!

Check this one out:

Virtual Reality

Laugh a Little! …….. No, Make That a Lot!

“It’s Complicated!”

April 25, 2016April 26, 2016 / Andy R Taylor / Leave a comment

I hear that a lot these days. It’s a common admission on FaceBook and other social media sites, and it’s usually used to describe one’s relationship status. It may just be me….but I think I’d steer away from any relationship that’s ‘complicated’. If I were to give advice to any of those claiming to be in a complicated relationship, it’d be to simplify. I think that’d make it easier on everyone involved. I’d love to see just one person on FaceBook describe their relationship by posting….”It’s Simple”!

I imagine a lot of people might also classify their relationship with the Lord as complicated. I mean, He’s a pretty profound Entity to say the least. In fact, in His infiniteness, He could decide to make Himself totally un-understandable if He wanted to. But, it’s just not in His makeup to do so. He could reveal Himself to be so complex that it would totally boggle the human mind. He definitely has that capability, too. But, again, it’s not anything He’s interested in doing in the least.

He has never wanted His relationship with us to be complicated. That’s one reason He reveals Himself as, Father. And, He doesn’t just reveal Himself as Father only because it’s a relationship that we can understand, and relate to….although it does go a long ways in helping. Nope, He reveals Himself as Father…..’cause that’s Who He really is!! It’s the clearest description of Him and of His nature.

Religion has a way of complicating our relationship with the Father…..but don’t let it! When you’re feeling like it’s getting complicated….just revert to the simplicity of that Father/son, Father/daughter relationship that He deeply desires to have with you. Enjoy!

And when anyone asks you about that relationship you’ll never, ever have to say, “It’s Complicated’!

Check these out:

Simplicity! It’s All I Have to Offer

If You See God “Wrongly”…….You’ll Never See Yourself “Rightly”!