Growin' Up Gregory

During our drive home from the beach last week, everyone dozed off for a little while and I actually had some quiet time to just look around, think, and reflect.  Maybe you're like me and your mind often goes into a deep thinking mode after vacations, or maybe not.  But during those few hours on the road and those few moments of peace and quiet I started thinking. I could have thought about all the problems that this state has.  I could have considered where we rank in employment, in education, in roads, in welfare, or in any other area that the so called experts who rank states show South Carolina near the bottom nationally.  But after hearing what a friend shared today, I don't want to focus on that.  There are enough people focused on the negative.  I'm not saying let's ignore our problems and hope they go away.  I'm just saying that is highly unlikely that my blog is going to convince a judge, politician, or state official to change a rule or law and fix so

To be completely honest, there are some verses in the Bible that I'm not really sure why they are there.  I mean, I know it's because God ordained men to write it and He has a purpose for each and every one, but there are some that are hard to comprehend or just don't seem to offer much worthwhile advice.  This verse is not one of those.  It's short, simple, relevant, and to the point. "Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness." - Psalm 37:3 1.  Trust in the Lord.  Trusting God's lead doesn't mean feeling comfortable or even confident every step of the way.  It means knowing that if you follow Him, His will will be done.  As humans, we prefer walking by sight and not by faith, but sometimes God commands us to trust, follow, and obey. 2.  Do good.  Where do we start here?  Be kind, be generous, love, give, help, care, so many verbs we can list.  Do good by your family, your friends, your enemies, so many people t

"Every person knows disappointment and loss in life.  At those moments, we can express appreciation to others in spite of our own disappointments.  One of the strongest evidences of the power of Christ in us is when we rise above our own circumstances and reach out to others with kindness and gratitude." - Lifeway In 2 Samuel 19, King David was in a precarious position. His army had won, but his son (and enemy) had been defeated and killed. Instead of celebrating the victory of his soldiers, he went into the palace and mourned the loss of his son. By doing so, he had risked losing the trust and support of the people. 2 Samuel 19:8 tells us, "So the king got up and say in the city gate, and all the people were told: 'Look, the king is sitting in the city gate.' Then they all came into the king's presence. Meanwhile, each Israelite had fled to his tent." 1.  We all either have, will, or are, dealing with some sort of loss in life.  It may

2 Samuel 9:13 - "And tell Amasa, 'Aren't you my flesh and blood?  May God punish me and do so severely if you don't become commander of my arm from now on instead of Joab!'" The setting:  David's kingdom has begun to crumble.  His son Absalom who has nearly overtaken his kingdom has now been killed.  However, there is still a threat of civil war in the country with many more lives than the 20,000 already lost at risk.  Trust on all sides is broken and there is great disunity in the country.  Sound familiar? How can a leader attempt to rectify this situation?  You're grieving the loss of a son, people are hurting, and trust and life is hanging by a delicate thread. David made a bold move in his attempt to restore trust and order to the land.  He replaced one of his longest tenured and closest allies, Joab, with Amasa, a former ally of his rival and son, Absalom.  This maneuver "sent a message of reconciliation to those who had supported the r

This excerpt is from an article by Steve Hatfield titled "How to Be a Pastor's Friend": Be a unwavering supporter.  Most folks in a pastor's life will waiver in their support.  Rarely does anyone always agree with what a pastor does or says.  If he knows he has at least one person who always has his back, it gives him confidence.  Please note that I didn't say ALWAYS AGREES.  It is possible to not agree but still support your pastor.  When I'm asked about whether I agree or disagree with what a pastor is trying to accomplish, for example, changing a worship service format or instituting a program, I like to reply, "If the pastor believes God is leading him in that direction, then I'm on board.  As long as he is not violating Scripture, I need to support him." Wow!  Can you envision the maturity and integrity it takes to be someone like that?  You must be mature enough to be able to put aside your feelings and follow your pastor

Okay now that I have your attention, let's agree on a couple points before we start. 1.  Nothing is free.  It may be "no cost to you" but there is no such thing as free.  If your boss gives you free tickets to a ballgame or free entry to a golf tournament, it was NOT free - the company paid for it.  If a meal is provided to you at an event, a sponsor somewhere paid for it.  If you won free tickets on the radio, a company bought them or gave up the income from them.  If you receive any type of benefit, be it tangible or intangible, someone somewhere gave up something or paid for it. 2.  Nobody likes taxes, any kind of taxes, period.  I don't like sales tax, property tax, income tax, or even hospitality tax (taxing me is not very hospitable).  But I do understand that taxes are necessary.  Tax money is what is used to fund and operate our local, state, and federal governments.  Does there need to be more transparency, accountability, and efficiency in government?  I

I hope that everyone had at least one opportunity to enjoy a firework show to celebrate Independence Day over the past week.  I think it's amazing that nearly every small town in America seems to have some sort of festival and firework show to celebrate our nation's freedom; a freedom that many have fought and died for which is so vital to our way of life in this country and we should all be deeply grateful for those who have sacrificed their time, energy, and lives to defend our nation. But back to the fireworks.  Depending on where you're watching and who you're watching with, the best part of a firework show is either the first BOOM and flash of light when the kids sit down and start to be still and quiet for a minute; or it's the final climax when the exhibitors show you their best, brightest, and loudest - the grand finale!  For those seconds the sky lights up like the middle of the day, the booms don't seem too loud anymore, and it creates an almost magi