I wonder how often we pass a chance to encourage someone. To let someone know we care? 5 seconds is all it takes, thats it. I sometimes wonder how we've got to a point where hardly anyone has 5 seconds anymore.

My wife was pregnant with our first child and we just knew it would be any day now. We had taken all the classes, had all our bags packed, phones charged up, those of you that have been there, you know the drill.

Anyway, my wife woke me up about 2:30 that morning saying she thought IT WAS TIME. We sat for awhile, timing her contractions, how painful they were and anything else the doctors wanted us to pay attention to. When we finally made the call, they said to come to the hospital, IT WAS TIME! (sorry for the caps, but after all, I am a guy. You know how we are when it comes to this, )

We got to the hospital at about 4:10 am, excited about meeting our new addition. When they hooked my wife up to the monitors to watch her contractions and the baby's heart beat, they realized that when she would have a contraction, the baby's heart beat would drop severely. At first they didn't seem too concerned, they turned my wife on her side, started her on IV and said we would wait on the doctor.

As we watched the monitors, we saw that it was getting worse with each contraction, the doctor came in and said we would watch one more, if it happened again, she have to have an emergency C-section. My poor wife lost it, saying over and over between sobs, "what's wrong with my baby!!" I almost broke down too, I admit, but I had to be strong for her, if she saw me cry, I was scared she would've gone from panic to hysteria.

After the baby's heartbeat dropped again, it seemed a hurricane had come into the room. Nurses flying all over the place, prepping my wife, all while I was trying to console her and hide my terror at the same time. We ran down the hall, towards the operating room, me barely able to keep pace right beside my wife. I was terrified both for her and my new baby that might not make it. Words don't do justice to what I was feeling at that moment.

When we got to the doors, a nurse pulled me aside and took me into another room, explaining I couldn't go in. She began throwing scrubs at me, telling me to put them on, they would come and get me as soon as they could. She began to walk out of the door, stopped and came back in and asked, "Sir, are you going to be ok?" I replied with, "yes, I'm just scared to death. Please take care of them." She gave me a quick hug and promised she would. That nurse gave me my breath back. My head was swimming since we first saw the heartbeat drop and with five seconds, she brought me back to shore, so to speak. I don't know her name, but I will never forget that nurse.

Everything ended up just fine for both baby and mother. They had some wonderful people taking care of them. But that nurse is what changed me, I know she was busy, she had to get into the room, but she had 5 seconds to make sure I was fine.

To that nurse, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And to the rest of you reading this, can you spare someone 5 seconds?
I challenge you to try it.

Till next time,
Rev

We have the ability to change the world. I'm not talking about an earth shattering, "I can't believe what's happened overnight" kind of way. I'm talking about changing it for one individual at a time. It's fairly easy, all you have to do is open your eyes and your heart, and believe it or not, opportunity will find you.

I knew this boy named Jack, who seemed like a pretty nice boy, but deep inside he struggled with a lot of different things going on in his life. When he was younger, he had this grandmother who he could always count on to give him hugs and kisses, and tell him everything was going to be okay. ANYONE that knew this kind, sweet woman would agree, when she loved, she loved with her whole heart. I know everyone has their own baggage to carry, but I've never known anyone to carry hers with as much grace as she did. She made sure this boy was in church every service, and even made sure he could go out other days just for some, "grandma time."

One day, Jack learned his grandmother had pancreatic cancer, not expected to live more than a year. Jack was devastated, they were telling him this sweet woman would no longer be around as his safe haven. He was able to swallow hard and keep it in while trying to be there for her like she was for him all those years. As he watched her decline, he felt like a part of him was dying with her. The same part that cared about anything else in this world.

She passed on to Heaven when this boy was about 16. He lost all control over himself, he did not know how to handle these emotions he was feeling. So he just ran, from everything he knew, to try and get away from the pain. He turned to drugs and partying, anything to make him forget pain, and gave up on this world. But you see, she had already left the seed she had planted in him. She let him see the person she knew he could be when she looked in his eyes. And no matter how hard he tried, he could not forget that.

I was that boy named Jack(not real name). I once was one of those people we tend to look down on. Those the world think are lost causes. I saw the looks everywhere I went. But I wasn't really that person, the guy who was nothing but trouble. I was just scared, confused, and lost. And because my grandmother taught me the value of opening one's heart, I was able to find my way back. She changed the world for me, I could have taken many, many wrong roads, but because of her love, I had to pick the right one.

Many that look like lost causes just need someone to see them for what they could be. For someone to care about them, to guide them. That is how YOU can change the world for one person. And not just that one person, their whole family along with it. Don't you think it's worth it? Trust me, to the person you try it with, it will be.

To my grandmother who is in Heaven, Thank you. I know I lost my way for awhile, but I never forgot your love. I will see you again one day, and I owe you one pretty big hug!

Remember, love is the only thing that is capable to change someone, all they need is to see it from you.

Till next time,
Rev

This has been one of the hardest posts I've been thinking about lately. As you read this, please think about someone you need to let go and forgive.

Not too long ago, I knew this teenager that attended our church. For the privacy of his family, I'll call him Matt. Anyway, he was one of the best kids you could ever hope to meet. Always polite, kind of kept to himself, and in his eyes you could genuinely see a love of life. He was a local star, so to speak, in our community. This boy excelled at sports, had colleges almost fighting to get him at their school.

Matt would often come to church and ask prayer for those friends he had in school who were having a rough time. You could tell he cared about everyone he knew. One evening, after a big rivalry game, Matt decided he would go to a party and celebrate with his peers (to my understanding, he never did this before), some boys from the other school showed up and started a fight. As they left, one of them leaned outside and fired some shots, one of which hit Matt in the head, killing him instantly. He had no part of the argument, just was at the wrong place at the wrong time.

There were over 1200 people that cames to this sweet boy's funeral, and I hope I never have to go to another like it. I consider myself a loving guy, but understand, I hardly ever shed any tears. That day, I cried more than I can ever remember crying. As I knelt to give his mother a hug, She grasped me and said, "they killed him Rev, they took my boy. They took my Matt from me." I can't imagine what she felt.

At the first hearing for the 3 boys, I remember her standing up and looking at each of them, replying, "I forgive you, you messed up, but Matt would want me to let you know, it's okay. I forgive you." This statement floored me. Is it that simple? Can it just be that easy?

I went not long after her statement to the boys, to visit this lady, who had moved to America to give her boys a better life, to see how she was doing. She told me during that visit, that those boys just needed love, she didn't hate them, didn't want them to die, they needed to know someone loved them.

I know there is a lot of hurt in this world, it is very easy to become jaded and scarred by things that happen to us. But please remember, you will never heal if you can't forgive. Whether those that hurt us deserve it or not, we owe it to ourselves.

Who can you forgive today?
Anger and hurt is a cancer that breeds nothing more than more anger and hurt. Forgiveness is the cure for that cancer.

Till next time,
Rev

I worry at times about our kids we are bringing up in this world and what exactly they are being taught. As I watch my two year old daughter grow each day, it has occurred to me, that although she learns most of what she knows from my wife and I, she picks up on other things out there that we have no clue where she got it from.

Like him or hate him, our president started something that has very good intentions, but it I think it made a seriously wrong turn somewhere. I'm talking about the "The No Child Left Behind Act." When you look at the basics, it sounds really good. I mean every child should get a fair shot at education, right? What I'm scared of though, is we are raising kids that are being taught that test scores are all that matter.

Before my wife decided to stay at home to raise our children (I love her for that and feel so blessed we were able to do it), she was a high school teacher working in the special education dept. Some of those children I had the opportunity to meet were some of the nicest kids I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. But one kid especially made a difference in my life.

For purposes of privacy, I'll call him John. Anyway, this boy had the heart of gold. He would take it upon himself to help others if he could, like one kid having mental problems who would not go to lunch, John befriended him and sat with him, and tried his best to get him to eat. But one day my wife came home extremely bothered by what she had learned. John had could not remember EVER having a birthday cake for his birthday. The teachers and assistants, who worked with this him, made him a birthday cake, and threw him a birthday party with just him and them. I'll never forget what she said happened as they brought out the cake...

John begged them not to cut it, with a tear in his eye, asking them if he could just take it home. It was too pretty to cut he said. He also wanted the candles just as they were on this cake. As I finish this story, I hope it has made you stop and think. You see, I am of the opinion that THAT IS NOT LEAVING A CHILD BEHIND. Those teachers taught John more in those 30 minutes, than a textbook will ever be able to teach.

I just hope and pray that when my daughter goes to school, she will be blessed with teachers like that. Ones who care about the child's well-being instead of caring about the child's well test grades. It does not have to be teachers who get stuck with it all the time either. As you read this, did some little boy/girl pop into your mind that you know is having a hard time? Or maybe doesn't have a whole lot? You can make a difference in their lives. All it has to take is a few minutes. Is that not worth it to change the world for an innocent little child?

Till next time,
Rev

As you read this, think about what you've looked at today, what have you seen? Did you take time to see something beautiful, or were you too busy to notice?

About 2 1/2 years ago, I went in for an ordinary eye exam. What happened there changed the way I see things forever. I was diagnosed with what they call Pigmentary Dispursion Syndrome. Basically when my eyes focus, it rubs the color in my eye which eventually breaks off and can cause a certain type of glaucoma. Turns out, mine had moved fairly fast and was already at the glaucoma stage. To a healthy man of only 26 that was scary enough, but the doctor preceded to tell me that this certain type tends to progress quickly (okay, you thought I was scared before, I was now sweating bullets). He sent me to a specialist to make sure thats what was happening, to which she agrred and told me there was already blocked vision happening.

On my way home, mind racing about a mile a minute, I could only think, what if I were to go blind? Now to those of you that know what this is or have something similar, I know it sounds like I may have over-reacted to the news, but none the less, I was scared. As I sat with my wife telling her what had happened, I noticed for the first time in a long time just how beautiful she was to me. I made a decision that night to take mental notes of things in case my condition kept progressing as it already had.

The next time we went to the mall (I hate shopping around, I like most guys tend to be, am a get it and go kind of guy), I sat on one of the benches while my wife went in to look at a few things. I began to notice things about people that on any other day I would have missed.
This little girl walked by, probably around the age of 5, with her arm around her younger brother, showing him where they were going next. Their parents right behind them, arm in arm, extremely enjoying being out as a family, BEAUTIFUL.

After our mall trip, we went out to eat, and across the room from us sat an older couple, talking just barely above a whisper, eyes engaged with each others. As they got up to leave, the man pulled out his wife's chair, helped her get her coat on, and they held hands on the way out the door. BEAUTIFUL!

You see, there is beauty all around us, and until we can stop and take note of that beauty in others, I don't think it's possible to develop a love for people that we need in this world. So I'll ask this question one more time, what have you seen today that was beautiful? Are you willing to look for it?

quick note: my glaucoma is fine, it has stopped progressing and is under control with medicine and frequent doctor visits.

Till next time,
Rev