The old hymn that my family loves to sing acapella was written with deeply moving lyrics and melodies.
When peace like a river attendeth my way
When sorrows like sea billows roll
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to say
It is well, it is well
With my soul
It is well with my soul
It is well, it is well
With my soul
(c)1873 Horatio Spafford
This past Saturday, we enjoyed celebrating 75 years with Mom. She’s a firecracker! Still flits around like she’s in her twenties, loves to sing and play music, always busy about her cooking or housekeeping, and ever concerned with the well-being of others. She is one of the brightest souls I’ve ever known. She loves well, and is so loved by many.
When we get together, there is always a sing-along moment involved. So, as usual, we enjoyed greetings, mixing-and-mingling, southern fried cuisine (( yum!! )) … and, of course, good old Gospel singing.
One of the kids captured our impromptu vocal rendition of the hymn on Facebook live, posted it, and within hours we were getting ‘Likes’ from dear friends and family from all over the nation who love and encourage our musical heritage.
One family friend notified of us the sobering reality that their newborn baby boy is suffering a seizure-related condition and asked for prayer. We immediately called upon the Father on their behalf and ‘shared’ their request with our connected Friends.
Others noted how this song and our family harmonies are inspiring and uplifting, which brings us great joy.
This morning, our church staff begins a #21DaysOfPrayer campaign for the kick-off of Back-To-School season in our hometowns, and as a reminder that we are embarking upon the final ‘season’ of this calendar year. The intent is to refocus, lift up prayers to the Father for this season, and ask His will be done in our lives, our families, our church, our nation, our world.
At our home church, that format includes a congregational worship song, a scripture reading from our pastor, an extended time of personal and corporate prayers and songs, with a closing prayer from our pastor.
During my quiet time, several scriptures from Chronicles and Psalms were brought to my attention describing King David’s instruction for ‘divisions’ or ‘sections’ as skilled musicians and worshipers were trained and contracted for worship at the Temple.
As I pondered my life as a musician and worshiper of God, the Holy Spirit seemed to nudge me to remember that God has called me from my Mother’s womb to be His child — a worshiper. A musician. A singer of songs. A producer of things that are musical and artistic in form.
Mom has reminded her boys all our lives, that she “gave us back to God” when we were born. One of the very first Gospel songs I recall Mom singing and teaching us was titled Born To Serve The Lord, a Southern Gospel favorite in the 1970s and 80s.
Wow. Born … to serve the LORD. The One. The God of the universe. The Holy Father. The Foundation upon whom all creation rests. That’s a heavy thought for a Monday morning. The weight of the responsibility of serving a LORD that great and expansive was nearly overwhelming in my spirit as I quietly sang and prayed.
My soul was stirred and the tears flowed as I considered the thousands and thousands of miles that I’ve traveled during my brief 54 years here. Nearly all of those journeys have included Song.
God knew that I would be a musician and singer. He knew that my soul would need the healing touch of songs, of poetry, of lyrics, of art. He created me just as I am of course, and I am so grateful that He inspires me through music.
So, as I meditate on the songs that have touched my life, this beloved hymn — It Is Well — seems to come forward most often.
Maybe …
– it’s the heartwarming memories of singing with Mom and my brothers
– it’s the soul-soothing lyric and melody
– it’s the beauty of the harmonies we arranged and performed
– it’s the spirit of the lyric that heals the wounded and jaded spots in my heart
– it’s the reassurance that death’s sting does not win
– it’s the promise of a better tomorrow
– it’s the hope that good will overcome evil
– it’s the redemptive story behind the song
The maybe list is endless.
Maybe … it’s the gentle voice of the Father. Reminding me once again … it is well.
Thank you Father. All is well.
The Better Way
“Serve one another … ” – St. Paul’s Letter to The Church at Galatia, Chapter 5
How archaic is that?! Life is all about ME, after all. I gotta get Mine … take care of Self … chase My dreams … cover My behind … win at all costs. Right?!
In America, the statistics are mind-numbing. We have become one of the most narcissistic self-centered self-serving societies in civilized history. The more we get — the more we want. The more we want — the more we waste. The more we waste — the more depressed we feel. The more we medicate our depression — the more empty we feel. What a sad and sick emotional roller coaster.
Jesus modeled the Better Way. We’ve tried to get it right for two thousand years now. Still, we fall short. Scripture said we would. Yet, the Father provides us the Grace to persist and seek the Better Way.
“No one has ever become poor by giving” – Anne Frank
“No one is useless in this world who lightens the burdens of another” – Charles Dickens
“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed” – Maya Angelou
“He has a right to criticize, who has a heart to help” – Abraham Lincoln
“Love is not patronizing and charity isn’t about pity, it is about love. Charity and love are the same — with charity you give love, so don’t just give money but reach out your hand instead” – Mother Teresa
So then, why is it sometimes so difficult to serve one another?
Bottom line: pride. We simply aren’t wired to give or serve.
Simple psychology teaches that we all need to receive and to give love in order to survive. And that makes good biblical or spiritual sense. But, that’s not our human nature. We are, by nature, sinners. We are imperfect. We are prone to wander. We are takers by nature. Yet, our very survival depends on our willingness to love and give. Oh the paradox.
St. John’s Gospel reminds us, “For God so loved the world that He gave …”.
According to Jesus, we too can give. If we are made in His image, we are empowered with the capacity to love and give. But it’s a choice. We must choose to love, and to give, and to serve one another. It’s the Better Way.
So, choose. Go … and SERVE. Try it. You will feel better. Not only about yourself, but about this crazy mixed up world. You might even discover that the Father is loving you towards Himself. He designed you for better. You can be better. We can be better.
His Way … is, after all … the Better Way.
Vacation
Vacation. Everybody needs one! We all need to getaway on a regular basis. We all need chill time, family time, solitude, and of course … FUN!
My beautiful wife is the Queen of Fun in our house. Sheryl is a kid-at-heart anyway, so she brings out the “happy” when it’s time to have fun. Plus, we live near the most beautiful beaches in America ~~ The Emerald Coast!
We are not “swim-in-the-gulf” vacationers. We love to dip our feet in the shallows, pitch a nerf football or frisbee, and sun-bathe in the warm breeze as the tides roll in. Half the fun for us is people-watching. The sights .. the sounds .. the shapes! (( ha ))
So, this year’s beach vacation fell on the weekend of Fathers Day. How awesome for Dad, huh?! And it was.
But, despite the chill time for me personally, we have worked through a sea of emotions this year as a family.
It was our first Fathers Day without Sheryl’s dad. Papa Gene has been the patriarch of our family. He and Jo birthed three beautiful daughters who produced nine amazing grandchildren … and now two great-grandchildren, with little Russell due anyday now!
Gene made it to Heaven last June. The past year has been once again filled with firsts. Those nagging family tradition moments, holidays, and seasons when we remember, and realize, that our loved ones will not be with us.
The Hebrews Chapter 11 passage describing the Hall Of Faith resounds in my mind at those precious moments.
So, we worked through our emotions this weekend, enjoyed the beaches, the fresh gulf seafood, the adventure golf, favorite funny TV shows, the new summer movie releases … all of it that we could possibly pack into four quick vacation days.
And we read books. Sheryl and I both love to read. Our children have inherited our love for reading, which makes us both very proud parents. Reading is the key to formal education, deeper understanding, and — in our opinions as educators and ministers — a successful life on this side of Heaven. We believe reading is one of life’s most precious gifts. So, we read as often as we can.
I am reading Choose Joy by Kay Warren. I love Kay’s raw and honest impressions of God, of holy scripture, and of the stuff of life.
Sheryl is reading Crash The Chatterbox by Steven Furtick. The personal testimonies and insights from Steven are life-changing and God-breathed.
Vacation also helps us to re-calculate. Reboot. Refresh. Re-think.
We both realize that the next chapter of our lives together will require a new level of spiritual maturity, personal disciplines, and emotional endurance.
Our children have entered adulthood. Empty nest is on the horizon. Yet, FAMILY is all we’ve ever lived for — second only to Jesus. Papa Gene always said, “at the end of the day, all you really have is the LORD and FAMILY”. He was right. He was always right, it seemed.
As we enter this next season, we are determined to make better choices. Non-negotiable hardline choices.
I am determined to choose Joy. As I read Kay’s book, I shudder to imagine what the cost of Joy could be for my little family. Yet, I will choose … Joy.
Sheryl and I are going to crash chatterboxes. Those pesky, haunting, demonic voices in our heads that lie to us as we press towards the call that God has placed on us. We are His. He covers us. That is all that matters.
We choose to believe for better days. We choose to overcome. We choose to succeed. We hope you will too.
Thank you God for our heritage, for the fathers in our lives, for our precious family, and for the Call. Thank You for choosing us. Thank you for making a Way. Thank you for sunshine. Thank you for rain. Thank you for beaches. Thank you for seasons. Thank you for friends. Thank you for your Word. Thank you for Heaven. Thank you for Life. Thank you for LOVE. That is all. For now. 🙂
Bus Driver Journal – May 2017
I returned to Bus Driver world for the past year in our local public school district. It has been an adventure for sure! And … truly an eye opener.
Sheryl and I have lived and worked in Pascagoula, Mississippi for a cumulative 40-plus years. We married here, left our sleepy-little-town-of-Pascagoula in the early 90s for ministry vocation and business pursuits, and returned in 2004 … just in time for the nightmare that was #Katrina.
So here we are 12 years into Recovery, Rebuild, and Restart. Sheryl has taught in the PGSD since we returned to Pascagoula and I have served several local churches as Worship Pastor or Worship Leader. I currently serve as a ‘Creative Arts Pastor’ — which is code for ‘multi-tasking guy’ or ‘utility guy’. Just put him where he best fits, which is … Lord knows where! For an adult ADHD creative artistic guy who’s brain never stops running … well, you can imagine what my pastor deals with. Oh what crowns HE will receive in heaven! LOL!!
Bus Driving has been a natural skill for me since I was 14-years of age. My little Gospel-singing family band traveled thousands of miles per year in the 70s, up and down the highways and country roads of the Southeastern and Midwestern states. I drove my first church bus when I was 15-yrs old right here in Pascagoula. I drove professionally for the Pascagoula School District when I turned 18-yrs of age. I have driven private coaches and commercial equipment hauling trucks all my adult life.
Much has changed in 40-plus years of bus driving. Mostly for good. Modernized school buses with AC, for one! (( thank ya LAWD )) Million-dollar houses-on-wheels that we call ‘motorhomes’. (( posh, I’m tellin ya! )) It’s a whole new world for bus drivers.
But, it’s a crazy mixed up world for children. And, we the adults in their little worlds have created most of the crazy that their little minds have to deal with and process. God help us.
This year of bus driving has revealed what I have always sensed in my heart was the constant gut-wrenching truth about our hometown(s), and ultimately our nation and our world. Not all children are wanted. Not all are loved. Not all are truly cared for. And, it’s on me. And, it’s on you. It’s on US … to want them, to love them, and to care for them.
No, [we] can’t fix all their family problems. No, [we] can’t rescue them all. No, [we] can’t change the emotional DNA that they might face daily. But, WE CAN … make a difference.
I CAN … smile and say “good morning …”.
I CAN … pray a quick prayer as a drive them to school and home again.
I CAN … wave a friendly wave at mama, daddy, or grandparents, or guardians as I proceed.
I CAN … interact respectfully with their teachers and principals.
I CAN … treat all children with respect and dignity.
I CAN … be firm with gentle but corrective discipline when necessary.
I CAN … calmly explain ‘why’ the child is suspended from bus riding privileges due to misconduct.
I CAN … reinforce ‘best’ behavior with a gentle spirit … the ‘daily grind’ and constant challenge for EVERY school bus driver.
I CAN.
YOU CAN.
In whatever capacity you find yourself with children in your life.
WE CAN … want them, love them, care for them.
That’s what Jesus did. That’s what I will do.
” … but Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of heaven’ … “. – Matthew 19:14 ESV
If Two Agree
“I also tell you this: If two of ![DISC[2]_600px](https://robbymyrick.files.wordpress.com/2017/04/disc2_600px.jpg)
you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in Heaven will do it for you.” – Matthew 18:19 NLT
Amen. I agree. That’s right. Go ahead. I’m IN. Let’s do this.
Agreement: a) harmony of opinion, action, or character; b) the act or fact of agreeing (ref. Merriam-Webster)
Disclaimer: I am writing this particular blog with the prerequisite understanding that most people in my immediate circle of friends, family, neighbors, and community function at a base level of human dignity, honor, and respect for one another. Just for context.
I am a highly opinionated person. I display strong emotions about certain topics, beliefs, and personal convictions. You probably do too. My DISC Personality Profile typically computes me as an “I/D” – Influencer/Dominance – type of person. I highly recommend the DISC Assessment. You will learn much about yourself and others, and your communication skills will increase dramatically as you choose to ‘deal with’ the weaknesses in your own personality. You will also learn to embrace differences in others. If you choose.
You’ve probably heard the smirkish comment, “Opinions are like bellybuttons, everybody’s got one”. And, it’s true. I often feel strongly about certain things in my life, just as you do. So, how do we find a way to agree, and therefore, hopefully get along as we go along?
Based on my DISC Profile, I am discovering about myself that the more I choose to LISTEN, the better my chances of getting along with people. Listening more, enhances my marriage, affects my parenting, deepens my personal faith, and typically increases my influence with people. The choice to listen more than speak seems to always make the conversation more pleasant, more significant, and more memorable.
As you might imagine, with my HIGH I/D personality, this requires of me an incredibly intense daily self-discipline. It is very difficult for me to simply … listen. I have words! My wife pokes fun at me when she quotes the pop-pychology motto that suggests, ” … if women have 40-50,000 words a day, and men have 10-15,000 words a day … Robby usually takes all my words!” Guilty as charged. LOL!
So, how about you? How does your personality cause you to generally get along with people? Or, not? Do most people consider you an easy-going person? Are you fairly easy to get along with? Or are you ‘that guy’ or ‘that girl’ that no one wants to chat with? In fact, you notice that people quickly smile and detour when they see you coming? They might even ‘Un-Friend’ you on social media! GOD forbid!! (( HA ))
Here’s a tip: I am doing my level best to simply listen … more. It’s tough! But with much grace and self-discipline (and, good therapy … and, meds!! HA) … I think I can … I think I can … I think I can.
In my church ministry we call it doing life together. This doesn’t mean we will universally agree on every single topic, idea, and/or methodology. Our hopes and dreams might even look very different! But we find a common ground with Biblical spiritual foundational faith concepts, beliefs, morals, and life-giving communication. We find a way to get along as we go along.
In our careers and jobs, agreement is necessary for productivity. We can disagree from time to time. But eventually, the organization must have unifying leaders who can rally the producers, the creatives, the taskers, and the consumers.
God loves agreement, according to Jesus’ words in Matthew 18. God created each one of us. He knows our differences. He uniquely designed each of us for individual God-sized purposes. I believe that the tapestry of our differences, woven together with agreement, becomes a powerful force for Good in the earth. This power of agreement can change lives. Even, save lives!
One of my favorite Amy Grant songs from the 1980s says, ” … Love will find a way …”. I agree. Let’s agree … and disagree … and find a way.
Let’s Love … and let Love help us … find a way.
#agree #cometogether #community