Growin' Up Gregory

By no means am I an expert in this field.  Though, if you would like the name of someone who is, I can give you the info for someone who has taught me a lot over the years and I still learn something new every time she speaks...10+ years later.  She's a true professional and could write a book (or three) on personal and professional etiquette.  These are merely my 'dumb country boy' thoughts from interactions and observations I've had over the years in no particular order. Appointments Everyone that I work with has heard me talk about how much I absolutely love appointments.  Think about it, we make them all the time - for a haircut, the dentist, the groomer, a fancy restaurant, or any other number of activities.  Appointments help give our schedules some sense of structure.  Yes, emergencies happen, like when Britt had to cancel the kids' dentist appointment when her water broke.  But that's not the norm.  However, when we are able to schedule...

Who all remembers the Facebook status, "It's Complicated?"  Man, I used to rock that status during my single days.  It could be used to show someone that you at least considered them more than a friend but weren't quite ready to make things FB official.  And it kept doors open to other relationships because they knew you weren't completely happy where you were. But there comes a point in life where we get tired of complicated relationships - dating, friends, and work included.  Often if we can simplify these important relationships, we are able to find more happiness and inner peace. Paul gives us seven quick-hitting points in 1 Thessalonians 4:3-12 to help us simplify our relationships, and subsequently, our lives.  You're smart people so you can look the verses up, I won't belabor this by writing them again here.  "For this is God's will, your sanctification" (v3).  Honestly, if we got a good understanding of sanctification, we could...

I'm not a person who is huge on being away from home for long, even on vacation. But coming home after a week at the beach has given me some perspective.  As a child, an overnight stay at a grandparent's house can be a mini-vacation and requires only a pair of PJs and clean underwear. As a childless adult, a weekend getaway requires a change or two of clothes, a cooler, and a little cash. As a parent with multiple kids, a vacation requires doing 4 loads of laundry BEFORE you leave, 5+ color coordinating outfits, 4 sleep sets, diapers, pack & play, strollers, vitamins, and a lot of cash. It's no wonder it takes a week to truly enjoy vacation. The first day is often so tiring from the drive/travel and packing. The last night and that final day are also filled with thoughts of packing and then more travel home. So you truly only get those few days in the middle to vacate everything else and refresh. If your job allows, take a week off sometime. Refresh, re...

This the second part of Dealing with Disaster with our model of how to respond to crisis that is shown in 2 Samuel 21:1-14.  (vs 4-6 here) We saw in Part 1 that when David faced a crisis, he first inquired of God, and then he inquired of the people who had been wronged.  He wanted to know how he could possibly make up for the prior wrongdoings to them and atone for the actions of his predecessor. In a request that would be considered shocking by most standards today, the Gibeonites did not ask for "silver and gold."  Money and financial reimbursements would not take away the pain their people had experienced.  They requested that seven of Saul's male descendants be turned over to them and hanged in the presence of the Lord.  While it is pretty easy to assume that Saul's attempted genocide of the people resulted in much more than seven deaths, we can assume that there was some symbolism here.  And this is certainly not a method of reconciliation that is ...

When we hear stories of natural disasters such as tsunamis, earthquakes, floods, and the raging forest fires taking place now in California, our minds tend to wonder what is these people may have done to deserve this type of judgment.  But we must remember that natural disasters and other hardships are merely a part of living in a fallen world.  One of the most recorded natural calamities in Bible is famine.  Lifeway offers this on famine, "While not always the result of divine judgment on sin, at times it did indicate the Lord's displeasure with something in the experience of His people, Israel."  And as they continued, "The purpose (of famine) was always to lead them back to Him and to seek His favor." So how do we deal with crises?  What do we do when disaster strikes?  We see a good model set for us in 2 Samuel 21:1-14.  (vs 1-3 here) After experiencing three consecutive years of famine, King David did what any wise man should do - he "inquired...

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 pas...

I'm a numbers person and have been for as long as I can remember.  I've often said that 2 + 2 = 4 every day that we went to math, but in English class, people could interpret the same book or poem in a different way and both be right.  That often confused me so I liked sticking with my good ole trusty numbers which could be why I ended up working in banking. Numbers are important, but sometimes we have to look beyond the numbers.  I am absolutely blessed to work where I do.  The company I work for, like many during the recession, had some trying times and fortunately the memories (hopefully not the lessons) of those trying times are slowly fading away.  During those years, our management team had to focus a great deal on the numbers.  But they never lost sight of what truly matters to the operations of a business, its employees.  Yes, numbers were tight, raises were non-existent for a time, and stress levels were high.  But there was and st...

We've seen God's Ten Commandments that tell us how to live in relationship with him and observe the Sabbath.  Now let's look at what he says about how we are to live in relationship to each other. 5. "Honor your father and mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you." - Ex 20:12 This is the first commandment given to us regarding our relationships with others.  Why would God place it first?  Because it shows that the family unit is also part of God's creation.  Honoring our parents is a way of showing that we accept and believe in God's design for the family.  Parents are to raise, support, and disciple their children.  But even if they do not, children are still to respect and honor their authority.  We do this by treating our parents with respect now and also by caring for them when the roles are reversed and they are in need of care in their elderly years.  This is also the only command ...