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We took my grandson last night to “Walking with Dinosaurs.” My experience was not good. It wasn’t the fault of the production, which was, to the best of my knowledge,  pretty impressive. But a family of little “brats” sat behind us. They never shut up and kept kicking the back of my chair. My polite pleas for quiet and requests not to be “beaten” were all for naught.  In short, I was so distracted that I could not  absorb or “hear” the production.We’re all familiar with Mathew 22:14, “”For many are called, but few are chosen.” Have you thought about what the difference is between the “called” and the “chosen?” All are called; some just aren’t listening. The “Chosen” are the ones who are listening. Some have no capacity to listen. The capacity to listen comes when we are born again. The New Man can hear what the old man can not. But even the New Man must practice his listening. We believe we hear God. We respond. We see that it was Him. The next time we are a bit more confident that it’s His voice we are hearing.But sometimes, even when we have heard His voice, even […]

I am the oldest of nine children. One of my sisters died a few years ago. One lives in California; another in Texas. The rest live in Acadiana. I remember being close to my brothers and sisters growing up; but I joined the Navy when some of them were still young. I was in the Navy for 11 years and after that Law School at the University of Florida (Go Gators) and a year practicing in Florida. When I finally returned to Lafayette, our lives had moved pretty far down different tracks and I kind of lost track of my siblings particularly the younger ones. We get together once a year a Christmas, but I don’t get to spend much time with each one during that event.Recently, I have gotten close to my brother Jim. That’s Jim behind my girls, Allison, Jessie and KK. He’s the youngest of my siblings. We share a passion for Cajun basketball. (Yes, even during this miserable season.) We would see each other during the games. Before my dad died last year, I would take him to the games, but Jim would often come sit with me and dad.The last few years, I sometimes […]

“You don’t know me.” That’s been my reactive thought and sometimes verbal response when someone says something that strikes real deep. Like most reactive thoughts, it’s not true and misses the point. It’s another aspect of “Poor, Poor, Pitiful Me.” On a surface level, we think others don’t know us and if they did they would understand why we do what we do. The truth is we don’t really know ourselves. Others often know us better. And what we do know of ourselves, we’re not exactly excited to share.  And often others all too well understand why we do what we do.Do you remember the first time you heard yourself in a recording or saw yourself on a video? Others hear us and observe us every day. We don’t have that privilege. If you’re like me you shy away from mirrors; too much truth. When we do look at ourselves in a mirror; it’s usually in a posed, unnatural, shot. We often have a distorted, self-created view of ourselves, usually based on a long ago version that was better looking, better acting, younger, and smarter than we are now (and, in fact, than we ever really were.)For most of […]

Last night at Amana we honored the volunteers whose efforts keep the church wheels turning. It is amazing what it takes and more amazing how God makes it all work. Pastor pointed out that oft quoted statistic that 20 percent of the folks do 80 percent of the work. The reason for that, obviously, is that 80 percent aren’t doing what they should be doing.  But we need to look deeper than that. Why aren’t the 80 percent pulling their load. For many, it is no doubt that they don’t believe they have a load to pull, they don’t listen to God, or they are just lazy. But for some of the 80 percent, they perceive that the 20 percent like being the 20 percent and really prefer that the 80 percent stay the 80 percent. Humans have problems with ownership and pride. “This is my ministry and no one can do it like I can.” We also have problems with self-flagellation. “Poor Poor Pitiful Me.” That’s more than lyrics from an old Linda Ronstadt song.  It’s a refrain we love to sing.Today OC talks about how obedience to God often costs others more than it costs the obedient […]

I’m back. I feel back in sync. No not these guys. They are N Sync. I can’t sing a lick. But I am in sync. It could be the 9 plus hours of Nyquil assisted sleep I just got, but I expect not. I believe it was the time I spent yesterday with the people of God. Joe Hadwin and I rode over to Baton Rouge for the first Kairos training meeting. Just the ride there and back would have been enough, without the meeting. Hearing Joe passionately tell his story of God’s touch on His life and his journey back from spiritual and physical death is enough to re-sync anyone. But I got more. I got to spend hours with forty something who had received something from God and who confidently expect to receive more, not in physical blessings but in the adrenaline rush you get from watching God work. Acts 26:17-18 (New King James Version) 17 I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, 18 to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, […]

Do you ever feel that life is a one way street and you’re headed the wrong way? Do you sometimes have the sense you’re out of sync with the world you live in? I do.Once again Rosemary and I find ourselves at odds with the movie critics and apparently most of the movie going world. Last night we did something we hardly ever do: we went to see a movie the first day it’s out. We normally avoid this because for the first few days the theater can be crowded. But we had seen the previews for Leap Year. We love Amy Adams and loved the glimpses of scenic Ireland that the previews provided. As it turns out the theater wasn’t crowded, some folks are apparently reading the reviews. We loved the movie and thought it was one of the best we’ve seen. The critics completely disagree. The movie isn’t deep or socially significant or politically relevant. Maybe that’s why we loved it. We go to the theater for release, release for a world that takes itself too seriously, a world that no longer believes that the simple things are best, or that love is best when it’s most […]

One of the highlights of our recent vacation was our visit to my brother Michael’s home. On one wall of his living room, Mike has pictures of family ancestors, his family on one side and his wife, Mary Ann’s, family on the other. It’s a touching display of the importance of recognizing our heritage.The display includes a picture of my Dad’s mother. We called her Mama Beam. She was a devoted Catholic of the old school. When the church went to the English in the mass, she  ignored that and would say her Rosary during the ceremony.She was an avid card player. She had a group of friends she played with, as I recall, daily. During lent she would “give up” card playing. No one wanted to visit Mama Beam during lent because she missed her card playing and it showed up in her disposition.I remember trying to “give up” things like spinach or homework. I guess I didn’t get the idea.The concept of “giving up” things or making a sacrifice for God is an ancient one. Over the centuries the concept has gotten confused. If you ask someone making such a sacrifice today the reason for their actions, […]