You Have One Day Left... So Just Do It! by John Godfrey

You forgot didn't you? Go ahead and just admit it and you'll feel better I promise. You still have time...you can do it if you want to bad enough! But I have to tell you that you only have one day left and then the chance will be gone. No second chances! No saying I'm sorry! No excuses! I have to admit it myself...I almost forgot so that is why I am reminding you before its too late. Don't delay...DO IT NOW!

Do you know what October is? Yes I know its a month of the year. Yep... I know it is when Halloween comes. And yes I know that it is when the leaves change colors and then drop dead! Am I obnoxious enough for you yet? Oh well I guess if you know me well enough or you have read any of my blogs then you know I can ramble for a long time without saying much...sorry I guess its a gift!

Okay, enough of my giving you a hard time so I'll get on with it. October is Pastor Appreciation Month!! No, I'm not talking about the place where the cows stay! I'm talking about your preacher ya ninny!  Have you told your Pastor how much you appreciate him yet? Why should you do that you ask? There are plenty of others that will do it so no need for you to bother...you say? Well hang with me a few minutes while I give you a few of my reasons to let your Pastor know that he is appreciated. Remember this is coming from me, a preachers kid, so my views are tainted a little from experiencing the Pastor's family life first hand. There are many things that go on in a pastors life that you may not be aware of. Things that many times go unappreciated and unnoticed, never the less these are a part of a pastors existence; and his wife and children too.

While writing this I personally have a few pastors in mind that have had a positive impact on my life. None are perfect and I'm sure that all have made mistakes both before their ministries began and during their pastorates. Some have had big churches and some have had smaller ones. Most are Baptist like me, and one is a Church of God Pastor, but they have one thing in common...a heart for the Gospel and the people they serve. Here are just a few reasons from my own experience why I say that I appreciate each of you. I'll list the names of these Pastors at the end of this blog. I really do appreciate what any true pastor does for his God and his people. Here is what I see in those of you that live the life you preach:

1. You put your heart into what you are called to do Sunday after Sunday and year after year with very little real heart felt response from those you serve. The messages you preach are prepared with much study and prayer, yet many times you see little change in the hearts and minds of your congregations. We seem numb and disconnected at times, but yet you come back and do it again the next service because it is your call.
   
2. I know about the late night calls, the hospital visits, the long hours comforting a dying friend and their families as they enter into eternity.
3. The prayers you pray for people in your church, or even the prayers for those you may not know. You simply pray for strangers at the request of others.
4. The times you have to explain to your family that vacation plans have been changed because of unexpected illness or death in the church. Or the times you returned home early for the same reasons or just to reside over a wedding where the couple wants you and no one else.
5. (Thinking strictly in the flesh here) I also know that you are human and there are times that you hold your peace when you have every right to speak it. Those times when you are treated unjustly. Like most men you would probably love to tell the gossipers what you really think when they set out to destroy the reputations of people in your flock. At times it's your reputation they want to destroy, but you do your best to take the high road instead as you try to maintain unity in the church. 
6. You take it as calmly as you can when folks talk about who they like and don't like; especially when they are talking about preachers in the area, choir directors, church leaders, and church staff. You listen to complaints about the music program, the air conditioning, the heat, hymns verses worship songs, youth programs, the church budget, the janitor, small group problems, worship times, carpet colors, piano placement, drums and guitars in the church; sermons too long; need I say more? You must be "God called" to put up with all of that. Trust me, most of us parishioners would have bowed out long ago or possibly "punched out" some spiritual lights! However for some reason we expect you to take it with a spiritual smile. We church members can be a great bunch of people, but we can  be a bit self-centered and un-Christ-like as well. Maybe we should include a little extra money in your check fr babysitting us imature Christians?  :-)  Ooch!
   
7. Many times we expect our preachers to live in a little lower lifestyle (financially speaking) than we do (May the good Lord help you if you live below my lifestyle   :-)  So if you get a new car or new home then you may be deemed worldly or showy! Of course we drive new cars and live in nice places, but you must live the life of sacrifice in the eyes of some. God help you if we ever see you in a swim suit!...in public...Yikes! (I'm sounding a little ugly here huh? It's true though correct? Not all but some.)
   
8. Our expectations of how you and your family should dress and act can be unrealistic and can add undeserved pressure on you and your family. Pressure and unreal expectations can be a breeding ground for resentment especially in your wife and children, but you do our best to keep that from happening.
9. Whether you pastor a large church or a small one; whether you are full-time or bi-vocational; or even if you are not serving in a pastorate right now at all, you serve where and when God gives the opportunities.
10. You stick with it through thick and thin; through good and bad; and you live a faithful life of service setting the example for our spiritual growth!
    

As I end this long blog to go walk on water somewhere let me say that for all you do, and for all you represent I (along with many others as well I'm sure) say "Thank You" to you, your wives, and families. Personally, I and my wife Pat do appreciate each of you listed below more than you know.

• To my pastor Darrell Henry Oakwood Baptist Chuch Chickamauga Georgia who is faithful to the preaching of the Word in Truth and for leading his flock toward spiritual maturity. Thanks for being trustworthy!
  
• To Paul Raines my friend throughout life that has ministered to people that are un-churched. For leading countless numbers to the Lord while personally doing it without recognition or applause. He has also ministered to my family and I over the years by listening and by being completely non-judgemental. A friend and pastor that was always there when I needed a friend and prayer. 
• To my Uncle Ramon Clark that has always remained faithful to his calling. Watching him remain steady in his faith through the years even after his wife, my aunt Doris, lost her sight. Their example has meant much to me.
• To my High School buddy Steve Smith that I have also watched over the years as he remained faithful to his call through the good and the bad as well. 

To all of you...Keep it up and when you feel down just remember in the middle of all the uglyness that can happen in this world...at least you have beautiful feet!  :-)  

Rom 10:15

And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

www.oakwoodbc.org

Halloween and The Day I Decided to Never Ever Put On A Costume Again! by John Godfrey

Okay here I go...I'm going to once again open myself up to renewed ridicule, embarrassment, and memories that I had almost forgotten! Or at least memories that I have tried to forget!

I was a pre-teen about eleven or twelve years old I think; it was Halloween; there was a Halloween Party; a party that went wrong; terribly wrong at least for me in the "Country Music Capital" called Nashville Tennessee.

I was young and inexperienced in life. In no way could I be called a "party dude" because the truth of the matter was that before this night I had never been to a party where my parents were not present. I guess I was sort-of sheltered or protected to that point. There were good reasons for being protected by my parents I guess since we lived in west Nashville and it was a pretty rough part of town. But now...on this Halloween night I was about to break out of the little boy mold as my parents restraints would also be broken; I would be part of the teenage crowd; finally... I would be cool! This night was long awaited and I wanted to graduate from childhood with style...I wanted to fit in with the big guys and girls!

Earlier in the week my brother Barry had asked me if I wanted to go to a Halloween party with him. He was older and ran with older kids so this was an unusual request that caught me by surprise. However, I jumped at the chance to go. He went on to further explain to me that it was a dress up or costume party. Now my family would be what some in financial circles would refer to as poor, broke, and underprivileged, and they would be correct for sure. There was no way that I could afford to buy a costume and neither could Barry, so we had to "dress up" by making our own costumes. They were not scary outfits, no monster suits, no ghost stuff, they were....well, if you have to know... I admit it...OUR OUTFITS WERE WOMEN'S DRESSES! There are you happy? I said it and it's finally out in the open!!! Oh and you may as well know that on top of that we adorned ourselves with jewelry and make-up, and we stuffed our dresses to appear anatomically correct! It felt wierd but I just gotta say...We Were HOT STUFF!  :-) Hey it wasn't serious stuff I promise, it was for fun and besides everyone else would be dressed up too...wouldn't they?

Finally it was time to go to the party so we jumped into Barry's first car, a 1953 Chevy, and off we went dressed like two ladies out on the town. We had a blast passing folks and blowing kisses along the way until we finally arrived at the house where the fun was to begin. After tastefully climbing out of the car as you would expect ladies to do, we walked up to the house just as the sun was setting and darkness had fallen. We heard laughter coming from the rear of the house so together we strolled rather prissily around to the where they all were. Just as expected the girls and guys were sitting by the campfire...laughing...raosting hot-dogs...and then...BUMMER! Not one single person was dressed up! NO COSTUMES!  :-(  Suddenly, everything fell quiet and all eyes were on me! Frozen in my tracks I heard the back door slam shut behind me and I turned to find that Barry had gone inside. I stood silent not knowing what to do for what seemed like an hour. I wondered where in the world Barry had gone? A few minutes later that question was answered as he appeared in the doorway. He had his regular everyday clothes on. THE STINKIN DRESS WAS GONE! NO MAKE-UP! NO JEWELRY! AND HE HAD A GREAT BIG SMILE ON HIS FACE!!!! (Sorry I didn't mean to shout)

So here am I "Suzy Q" wondering what to do when Barry asked me, "What...you didn't bring your other clothes just in case?"My reply simply was, "WHAT? I had no idea that there was any reason for a JUST IN CASE! So no...I have no change of clothes; no pants; no hair brush to comb out my girly hair style; and no fingernail polish remover; and no escape! What's a girl to do?"Of course Barry wasn't going to leave until the party was over..Needless to say...This Girl Was Stuck!

It's evident that I lived through the party and yes I did have fun even if I did have to sit funny. But without a doubt that day was the day that I decided to never ever put a costume on again for Halloween!

 Hope you Have a Happy Halloween...Wear a Costume if you want to...But Please ...Take a change of clothes!

Note about Adsense Ads on my Blog

FYI
I have decided to remove the Adsense Ads from my blog due to the fact that some ads were not in keeping with my faith or beliefs. Since the ads are automatic and usually are generated along with what seems to be the content of my blogs (i.e. Religious blog themes will usually bring up ads that are of religious nature or photography blogs will have mostly photographic type ads etc) then I have no control over the ads that are displayed. The automated ads are no ones fault, I have simply chosen to take the ads off so I will have control as to what content is on my blog. My decision was made because I have concern over religious ads that have appeared that I deem anti-Christian. I'm not trying to be controlling, but I do feel a responsibility to have resources available to you that I feel are consistent with my beliefs. 

You probably will not even notice, but just in case you are looking for additional resources that is why they are no longer here.

John

Wow! Look Who Just Landed On My Hill! by John Godfrey

Here are some photo's of an unexpected guest that landed on my hill Friday. I just wanted to share a close up look at this awsome creature called "The Hawk!" Usually we see them soaring high above us looking for prey so when my neighbor pointed out this beautiful bird I had to take a few shots. Unfortunately it seemed to be injured. My neighbor called several places trying to get help with no luck so I have no idea what happened to it. Hopefull it will survive.

I hope you enjoy these pictures. He (or she) was a gracious subject while I took the photos, but I gotta tell ya....during the session...it watched me like a HAWK!

"When You Have No Choice But To Face The Storm Head-On" by John Godfrey

The year was 1968 and I was a young man as you can see by the attached photo. I had finally finished my US Naval "Boot Camp" training way up in the cold Great Lakes region of these United States. After a short time of transition in Charleston South Carolina I finally received my orders to serve aboard the "Charging Charlie R" the quote "Protector of the Seas". The "Tin Can" Destroyer USS Charles R Ware was home based in Jacksonville Florida or Mayport Naval Station to be specific. I arrived late in the evening after "lights out" and I'll never for get the eerie feeling as I crossed the gangway that night to go aboard. This was my new home and a floating one at that! It was the first time I had ever lived in a place with nothing but men (well except for Boot-Camp)and it was definitely the first place I had ever lived that had large cannon like guns, ASROC Missiles, a number of machine guns, and enough large shell ammunition stored on board to blow us all sky high! It was exciting, but no doubt a bit uncomfortable to say the least.

Eventually I  settled into my normal routine and I found that it wasn't too bad being stationed down there in sunny Florida...well until the news came; news that there was a huge storm coming! This was no ordinary storm, it was a hurricane and we were told that we needed to quickly prepare to head out to sea in order to ride the storm out! After hearing this I think my exact words were; "Say What?...Are we crazy?". If you have never seen a Naval Destroyer then you may not realize just how small they are when compared to other ships such as an Aircraft Carrier or a Cruise Liner. Destroyers were given the nic-name "Tin Can" because they bobble up, down, and under the water just like a tin can would! Half the time you actually feel like you're on a submarine! Maybe if you picture your house (as a Destroyer) stretched out beside a 20 story building (the Cuise Ship) then you will get a little idea of the difference in size. So why in the world would we go out and hit a storm of this magnitude head-on instead of staying tied to port where at least it seemed safe? Glad you asked...As I soon found out, here's why.

It's really simple, ships are made for the sea. Am I smart or what? No, that's just the reason for their existence! So their chances of not being destroyed in a large storm are much better when they are sent out on the raging sea. If left.. tied up during the storm the wind and waves will crash the ships into the docks and into any other ships that are left in port. At least at sea there is a very good fighting chance of survival because that is what the ship is made for...sailing! I admit that once we made our way out of port and into deep water the adrenalin began to pump heavily as the storm approached. It was an eye-opening ordeal as we began to be engulfed in its rage and it was definitely a learning and a maturing experience.

As time went on I had the opportunity to man the ship's helm while steering the ship during several storms at sea. It can be frightening as forty foot swells with huge waves on top crash completely over the ships bridge! Or as the ships bow races down like a roller coaster into the bottom of the next wave you feel like she is going to charge straight on down to the bottom of the ocean. However thankfully she always managed to come back up before she hits the next one. Before long the storm will pass and if you keep going you will make it to your destination. This proved true each time we went to another country. Regardless of the storms size or intensity; even though we completely lost power a few times along the way sitting helplessly for a few scary minutes; and even though one time we were actually hit by another ship in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean;...we finally made it to many foreign countries safe and sound.

Christians are like ships. Sometimes we see the storms coming and we want to stay where it seems safe...in our churches...at home...or just quiet! Some of us are willing to face the storms while we leave part of our lines tied to the dock. We want to stay connected to the "safe" areas just in case the storms of "rejection", or "lack of faith", or the "lack of power" are too strong for us to make the trip on our own. We want to have a way back just in case our storm is too much of a force to deal with. We know that we cannot go through the Christian Life without the storms. After all Jesus told us that his followers would face the anger and storms of this world, but somehow we just can't completely let go to face the storms of life head-on. We want to live safe and without fear of being called different or weird! Some also live in disbelief that Christians can even have storms. They believe that all is well once you become a Christian. Unfortunately when the storm hits they are told it is because of their lack of faith. All of these are headed for shipwreck and discouragement too. Sooner or later they will have to face a major life storm head-on too!Its part of living in a fallen world.

I too have tried to sail my ship my way and it has at times almost destroyed my Christian walk and witness. I pray that whatever storms you and I are facing in our lives and in our Christian journey that we will let go and loosen the lines that are keeping us tied us to the dock or to our so-called safe places. A few things that will keep us bound to the dock are finances, health, family, friends, fear of rejection, political correctness, lack of faith, lack of knowledge or direction, the death of a loved one, divorce, guilt, and many more.

You and I know exactly what has us tied down and defeated in our Christian journey, but we were made to let go and go head-on through the storms on our way to the other side. God is in control and He will see us safely home. Besides you will never be thankful for the smooth sailing times unless you have weathered the storms. I pray for much smooth sailing and Gods strength to carry you through your storms.

CHECK OUT THIS LINK FOR HELP WITH YOUR JOURNEY : http://www.oakwoodbc.org/pages/page.asp?page_id=13014

Chickamauga Georgia Digital Photo/Paint by John Godfrey

Click on Pictures To Enlarge

Photos taken June 2009

Historical Cove Methodist Church

Confederate Gravesite Behind Cove Methodist Church

Chickamauaga Railroad Depot

First General Store Chickamauga 

Lee & Gordon's Mills Chickamauga