It's a Miracle

Dear Friends,
Since early October 2008, I have not been able to logon to blogspot from my home computer. I couldn't even visit a blogspot site. Whenever I tried, I would get an error message on my computer. I don't claim to be a computer expert. But the only explanation I could find...my computer must be too old. My 2004 eMac running Mac OS 10.3.9 must no longer be compatible with blogspot. (About the same time, I could no longer access YouTube from my home computer, and I suspected it was the same reason.

But tonight--more than 12 months later--as I was doing an internet search to find out how long a baroque trumpet is, the computer took me directly to a blogspot site, and the page opened just fine! I couldn't believe it. What changed? I'm still running the same old software on the same old computer. How did it suddenly start working again? And, how long has this been going on?

I don't know the answers to these questions. But I do know this. If I continue to have access to blogspot at home, you can expect to see more frequent blog entries. I won't have to go to other computers to post on the blog. I can write and post from the comfort of home.

So hip, hip, hooray! Let's hope this is a permanent situation, and not just a temporary glitch in the system! Stay tuned!
Blessings,
Clayton

SWS: Prayer For Guidance

Dear Friends,
I came across this prayer recently. I thought it was something worth sharing.
Blessings,
Clayton
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Father,
The path ahead is dark,
And we know not where Thou wouldst have us go.
Give us, oh, give us, Thy gracious guidance
And a tranquil trust in Thy love,
That we may walk forward through the gloom,
Unfaltering, fearless, and confident,
Having within us that divine light
Which maketh clear as day the darkest midnight,
Guiding the traveller who shall trust in Thee
Safe through impenetrable forests and over trackless mountains.
Amen.
-John Somervell Hoyland (1887-1957)

September Newsletter: First Things First

Dear Friends,
Below is my column for the September 2009 Monroe City/Mt. Vernon United Methodist Churches newsletter. Like many of my columns, the advice given here is "easier said than done". But with time, determination, and prayer, we know that all things are possible with God.
Grace and Peace,
Clayton
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From Your Pastor…
I recently told some folks, “I think the earth is rotating faster than it used to.” That’s not true of course. Without peeking in any scientific journals or encyclopedias, I think it is safe to say that the speed of the earth’s rotation has not changed significantly (if any) during my lifetime. Yet the earth’s rotation seems to have sped up. Where did the summer go? How can it be Fall already? Wasn’t the Fourth of July just a few weeks ago?

For many of us, time does seem to go by faster as we grow older. Why? Some people would say, “Time flies when you’re having fun.” But what about the folks who aren’t having fun? I’ve also heard it said, “The days are long, but the years are short.” That may be true for busy parents, but what about prisoners sitting in their cells?
I’m sure we could spend all day sitting around trying to figure out why time seems to fly by, but wouldn’t that be a waste of time? Perhaps we’re better off figuring out how to best use the time we have. After all, time is a gift from God. And just like God’s other gifts (money, talents, service), we need to be wise stewards/managers of the time God has given us.

Dr. Stephen Covey is often considered a leader in time management. Covey has authored several best selling books including: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, First Things First, and The Eighth Habit. Covey is also the co-founder of FranklinCovey, a company which sells day planners, calendars, storage binders, computer software, computer bags, and other items to help organize your stuff. They also offer workshops, webinars, and private consulting to help organize your life.

Although I don’t consider myself a disciple of Stephen Covey, I have learned a bit from his books and workshops. I also use some of his planner products. Of all that I’ve learned from Covey, two things in particular stand out.

1. Our lives should be driven by things that are important rather than things that are urgent.
2. Instead of prioritizing our schedule, we should schedule our priorities.

On a typical day, I start off by making a to-do list. Then I go about my work, sometimes hurrying from one thing to another, trying to squeeze everything in. Some tasks take longer than expected, and I end up not having time for other things. At the end of the day I look back at my to-do list and see if I got everything done. Some things on my list aren’t really important and it doesn’t matter if I don’t get them done right away. But when a day goes by when I haven’t read my Bible or taken time for prayer, that’s when I know I haven’t managed my time well. I didn’t schedule my priorities (Bible reading and prayer) and I let the tasks which seemed urgent crowd out the tasks that are not only important but necessary for my Christian walk. As Stephen Covey would say, I didn’t put “first things first.”

Does this ever happen to any of you? I won’t ask for a show of hands, but I expect many of you have similar experiences. For most of us, managing our time isn’t easy. It takes effort and practice. I’m still practicing, and maybe one day I’ll get everything in order. Until then, I continually ask God to show me how I to live my life.

One of my favorite passages of Scripture is Psalm 25. I especially like verses 4 and 5 which read:

Lord, tell me your ways. Show me how to live.
Guide me in your truth, and teach me, my God, my Savior.
(Ps. 25:4-5a, NCV)

Whether or not you have problems managing your time, why not join me in praying these words: “Lord, show me how to live.” I’m sure we could all use God’s guidance and direction in our lives as time flies by!

Flash Back - A Lesson from Michael Phelps

Dear Friends,
I have been wanting to post this for several months now, but other things intervened. Below is my newsletter column for September 2008. This was written long before Michael Phelps got in trouble with the law. Despite some recent misdeeds, I hope we can look back at what Michael Phelps did 14 months ago, and be inspired to take that extra half-stroke to achieve victory in our lives.
Peace and Harmony,
Clayton

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From Your Pastor…
If you’re like me, you were practically glued to the television set from August 8-24, watching the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, China. I have always enjoyed watching the Olympics, both Summer and Winter games. It’s exciting to see athletes from all over the world come together in one place and compete in a series of events that only come around once every four years. Even though world championship competitions are held every year for all of the major sports, there’s nothing quite like the excitement and spectacle of the Olympics.

The 2008 Beijing games were especially phenomenal. Michael Phelps, a 23 year old swimmer from Baltimore, made history by breaking several significant records this summer. Phelps won 8 gold medals in Beijing, breaking Mark Spitz’ record of 7 gold medals in a single Olympic games. Combined with six gold medals won at the 2000 and 2004 Olympic games, Phelps now holds the record for most Olympic gold medals in a career. Phelps’ performance in Beijing also makes him the record holder for: (a) most individual Olympic gold medals in a career, (b) most individual Olympic gold medals in a single games, and (c) most Olympic medals in a career for an American.

All 8 events in which Phelps competed this summer were exciting to watch. But the one that impressed me the most was the 100 meter butterfly (also known as the “100m fly”). An Olympic-size pool is 50 meters in length. So for the 100m fly, the swimmers swim to the far end of the pool and then back to the starting line, using the butterfly stroke both lengths of the pool. The 100m fly was Phelps 7th event. He had already won 6 gold medals, set 6 world records, and broken the record for most career gold medals. All eyes were on Phelps for the 100m fly, because if he won this event, he would tie Mark Spitz’ Olympic record, a record held since 1972.

Despite Phelps’ spectacular performances up to this point, Milorad Cavic from Serbia was favored by many to win the 100m fly. As the race began Cavic took an early lead, with Phelps in second place. At the half-way mark, Cavic was still ahead. At 75 meters (3/4 of the way through the race), Cavic continued to be out in front, and it looked like he would win. However, in the last few seconds of the race, something amazing happened. Cavic took his final stroke and then glided toward the finish line. Phelps would have done the same thing; yet for some unknown reason, he felt compelled to take an extra half-stroke. The television commentators thought Phelps’ unusual half-stroke was going to cost him the race. But the exact opposite happened. That half-stroke gave Phelps enough momentum to beat Cavic by one hundredth (0.01) of a second!

What an amazing finish! Phelps almost lost the race. Had Phelps stuck with his usual stroke pattern, Cavic would have won the race, ending Phelps’ efforts to make Olympic history. But by doing something different and unusual—adding an unheard of half-stroke—Phelps went on to win the race and make history.

We in the church can learn some valuable lessons from Michael Phelps’ amazing performance in the 100m fly. When we find ourselves falling behind and losing “the race,” we need to try something different. Instead of just gliding along in our usual fashion and hoping for the best, we need to insert a “half-stroke”. At crucial moments in the life of the church when our situation seems especially difficult or challenging, we need to do something that will give us an extra boost—something that will give us the “oomph” we need to reach our goals.

God wants us to be champions. Not necessarily Olympic champions, but champions for the Kingdom of Heaven. Anyone want to go swimming?

August Newsletter: Finding Hope

Dear Friends,
Below is my column from the August 2009 newsletter for the Monroe City / Mt. Vernon United Methodist Churches. I am sorry to be running so far behind schedule. I have been wanting to post this for several weeks now, but I didn't get a round tuit until today. I hope you find it meaningful.
Peace and Harmony,
Clayton

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From Your Pastor…
As we enter the eighth month of 2009, I am struck by how different things feel this year compared with a year ago. Last summer there was some economic instability and even talk of a recession, but it wouldn’t be until autumn that the economy would take a serious downturn. Gasoline prices were high, up to $ 4 a gallon or more, but most people figured it was only a temporary increase (which turned out to be true, fortunately). Yes, there were some concerns last summer, but as a whole there was optimism in the air. There were many exciting events that helped take our mind off any worries about the future.

Beijing was host to the 2008 Summer Olympics in August. It was a record year. The United States won a total of 110 medals, more than any other country. Swimmer Michael Phelps broke Mark Spitz’s record for most gold medals won in one Olympic Games. Phelps also broke the record for most career gold medals, and tied the record for most individual gold medals in a single Olympics. Although not a record breaker, gymnast Shawn Johnson captured the hearts of America as she won one gold and three silver medals.

Last summer we were gearing up for an historic presidential election. The Democratic nominee, Illinois senator Barack Obama, was the first ever African-American to be nominated for president by a major political party. Alaska Governor Sarah Palin was the first women ever to be nominated for Vice President by the Republican Party. So no matter who would win in November, the 2008 election would be a “first,” either the first African-American or the first woman elected to high office. There was a lot of excitement around the election because people knew it would be “history in the making!”

Of course, not everything was rosy in 2008. There were hurricanes, earthquakes, airline crashes, wars, murders, and (let’s not forget) floods. But for the most part, people were hopeful and optimistic.

Let’s fast-forward one year. The mood doesn’t seem as bright. People are losing their jobs. Others are uncertain about theirs. Concerns about money have caused many people to be cautious about spending. People are taking “staycations” rather than vacations. Fourth of July celebrations, fairs, festivals, and other events have had to be scaled back or even canceled. Political scandals seem to be on the rise. There’s quite a bit of wrangling going on in Washington, DC. And our troops are still fighting overseas.

As I reflect on the mood I sense in people today, I’m reminded of words written in 1854 by America’s great songwriter Stephen Foster:

’Tis the song, the sigh of the weary:
Hard times, hard times, come again no more.
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door.
Oh! Hard times, come again no more.

Yes, these may be hard times, and they seem to be lingering long. But the good news is that we do not have to make this journey alone. God is with us, each and every step. In a recent Upper Room devotional, Anna Georgieva of Bulgaria writes, “Through my struggles I learned an important lesson: We cannot blame God when we suffer. We live in a sinful world filled with imperfect people, but God is perfect and merciful. God is our hope.” What a powerful testimony from someone whose life has been filled with many tragic events. What an inspiration for all of us.

Even though hard times may linger many days around our “cabin door,” we have hope. God is our hope. Christ is by our side, leading us, guiding us, and sometimes even carrying us. The Holy Spirit fills us with power and strength. Let us give thanks for this wonderful good news!