raging river

It’s been a while since I got to blog. I have been wrapped up in writing all our material for VBS plus making the decorations! I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now. Well, I want to tell you about a tubing trip my 10 year old son and I went on last weekend at Townsend.
If you have ever been tubing before you know that just after a good rain the river is up and faster. We have been experiencing a lot of rain lately so when we arrived at River Rage they were saying that if the kids are under 10 they could not ride the upper section of the river. No problem. We are covered there. What was real strange about this trip is my son and I decided to wear a life jacket. We have been here before and NEVER even thought about putting on one of these things. Looking back, it was the best choice we made that day!
So we head off to the river and they drop us off. We put in and proceed down the river. There was some good spots where the rapids were fast. We found the spot where the rope swing was and we played there for a while. The first trip down the river was ok but kind of boring. We heard people talking about how strong and fast the rapids were up at the Y, which is where you turn off to go to Cades Cove from Townsend. Being the adventurous men we are, we decided to hike up there and check it out. It did not disappoint! There were some good, strong, fast rapids and it was a blast! Someone had lost a beach ball so we chased after it trying to save it. We hustled to the bank so we could go again. This is where the nightmare began.
We put in to start this adventure again. There were several people on the banks but very few in the water. There was an older gentleman getting on a tube with his grandson in his lap. The current took my son through the rapids first. He was screaming and having a blast. The older gentleman had gotten in front of me somehow so they were next. It happened right in front of my very eyes! The older gentlemen’s tube hit the very first rapid and flipped! The kid in his lap looked to be around 6 or 7 years old. Neither one of them was wearing a life jacket! I was trying to reach them but they were going too fast. All I could do is watch in horror as the older man was swept under by the rapids. I was trying to yell at my son to help the kid but he couldn’t hear me because the water was so loud. I don’t know how, but the kid made it through with only a few scratches. The older gentleman wasn’t so lucky.
By the time I reached him he was holding his head and dog paddling. I reached out, grabbed him, and pulled him on to my tube. I asked him if he was ok and he said that his head bounced off rock after rock and that everything was spinning. When we reached a point to where people were on the banks I got them to come and help me. I explained to them what had happened and some lady ran and got a park ranger. Lucky for that guy it just happened to be a special weekend at Cades Cove and the ranger was there watching traffic. So the ranger radioed for an ambulance. I didn’t realize it when we were in the water, but the older gentleman had a gash in his head that was bleeding pretty bad. So the ambulance arrived and we took off down the river again. We were very nervous about the rest of the trip down stream. And then it happened…my son flipped backwards at the bottom of a rapid! It was over after that. He said, “After seeing what happened to that guy and then flipping on that rapid, I’m never coming back!”
It was an adventurous day to say the least. I took it as an opportunity to explain to him how important it is to serve God every day and how important it is to have Christ in your life because we never know when our life will end. It could happen in a blink of an eye. One minute your having a great time, laughing, and by the time you take your next breath…it’s gone. I’ll leave with a couple of verses to think about but there are others to consider:
1 Peter 5:8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
Mark 13:33 And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert! Be on your toes! Randy

one day at a time...

I was praying the other day and as I listened to the words of my prayer I thought about a certain song. You’re probably gonna think I’m a goof ball but the words to this song sums it all up. Even though the song was a hit in the late 70's to early 80’s, the words are still just as awesome. it's a classic no doubt! Although we look ahead and have all these goals to reach, we still live life one day at a time. Take advantage of today because tomorrow may never come. The Christie family is in my prayers. RIP Mike. Randy

I'm only human. I'm just a woman. Lord help me believe in all I can be And all that I am. Show me the stairway that I have to climb And Lord for my sake Teach me to take one day at a time.

One day at a time sweet Jesus, That's all that I'm asking from You. Lord give me the strength to do every day what I have to do. Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus and tomorrow may never be mine. Lord help me today show me the way one day at a time.

Now do You remember when You walked among men? Well Jesus You know if You're looking below It's worse now than then. Pushing and shoving violence and crime And so for my sake teach me to take one day at a time.

One day at a time sweet Jesus That's all that I'm asking from You. Lord give me the strength to do every day what I have to do. Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus and tomorrow may never be mine. Lord help me today and show me the way one day at a time. Lord help me today show me the way One day at a time.

Are you a chicken?

What are some things that you are afraid of? I did my Kids Spot this past Sunday at church on chickens and I asked the children this same question. I got all kinds of responses. Some even said they were not a chicken at all. I’m scared of needles, any kind of wasps or bees, spiders, and snakes. These are just some things that turn me into a chicken. I’ve never raised chickens but I have eaten a bunch of them! LOL… I read where, at the sign of danger, the mother hen sounds an alarm and the baby chicks run to her and she covers them to protect them. I’m thirty-six years old and I still run to my momma! My mom is special to me because my dad committed suicide when I was three years old. Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms out there! Anyway, I thought about what Jesus said in Matthew 23:37 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” Jesus had come to save Israel, to gather them under His protection but they didn’t heed the warnings. They rejected Him and said, “No thanks.” What happens to something or someone if they are not protected from danger? I’ll answer this question with a response that one of the kids gave, “You are dead meat!” You see, there is a bad guy out there who wants to harm us, to do everything he can to keep us from God and going to heaven. He’ll trick us and oppress us, hoping we will fall. The devil is dangerous. You don’t stand a chance against him without Christ. Jesus shed His precious blood for us so that our sins can be washed away. He has sounded the alarm for us to run to Him for protection against the evil one. Don’t flirt with danger and take a chance! Run to Jesus and hide under His wings of protection. I think I’ll snuggle up to Him now and rest in peace…won’t you join me? randy

Keep your head up…

I have been working on a sermon to preach this Sunday. It’s entitled, “Where is God?” I don’t want to get into my sermon but I will touch on it some. I hope you never experience this in your spiritual walk because it is a miserable place to be but do you know anyone who has walked close to the Lord and for whatever reason, it seems as though that walk grew dim until it seemed God was nowhere to be found. It’s hard to cry out to God only to hear silence and it seems like He is not listening and is nowhere to be found. The reality of it all is, He is near, He does care, and He will come through, just hold on and try to keep your head up. I thought about Israel. WOW! Put yourself in their shoes for a minute. Here you are, God’s chosen people. He has chosen you to establish His name. He has given you His law. He has blessed you beyond anything imaginable. Zechariah 2:8 says that you are the apple of God’s eye. He has given you an abundance of blessings that you did nothing to get! He established His dwelling place, the tabernacle (and temple) in your midst. He has visited you in the form of a cloud on several occasions. He has spoken to you through the fathers and the prophets. Life is good.
But one day it took a turn for the worse. It’s not God’s fault, it’s ours. Because of sin (2 Chronicles 36) God allowed the Babylonian army to come in and destroy Jerusalem, including the temple. They killed women, children, men, grandmaws and grandpaws…anybody and everybody. To get a glimpse of just how bad it was read Psalm 74 and 79. The ones who survived were carried away and led into captivity. For the next seventy years God would be silent. I think I would be asking, “Where are you at God?” or “What’s going on here?” and they did. Of course they blamed God and questioned Him, much like we do when we are going through hard times.
But now for the good part of this story. The book of Ezra, chapter one, tells that Cyrus allowed the captives to go back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple and their city so they can worship again. Ezra, chapter three, tells us what happened. They started rebuilding the temple and they rebuilt the foundation. Ezra 3:11 says, “And they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever toward Israel.” Then all the people shouted with a great shout, when they praised the LORD, because the foundation of the house of the LORD was laid.” Most of them were so excited! Why? Because they are back home, rebuilding the place they love, and soon, worship would be restored. They, once again, would be able to make their sacrifices and enter into the presence of God. God has not forgotten them. He is blessing them once again. Let me encourage you by telling you that God has not forgotten you! He is there! He is with you, right by your side. Keep your head up and don’t give up! I will leave you with James 1:12 (NLT) God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

Don’t go there!

We were at Dollywood this weekend and my wife and two sons went on a water ride while dad stayed at bay with our daughter. She is 17 months old and very smart. We played around for a little while around the entrance/ exit waiting for the family to get off the ride. There were some ducks there and they provided some entertainment for a little while. My wife and kids decided they wanted to ride this ride several times and my daughter was getting bored with the ducks so she decides to run around the area. It was crowded that day, but thankfully no one ran over her. In fact, they got a lot of laughs out of the experience. There came a time when ole dad had to take a break, so I just sat and watched her from a short distance and ate some M and M’s. My daughter proceeded to go toward the entrance of the ride. I gently told her “no,” and she turned around and looked at me like, “Oh yea? We’ll see about that…” And she stood there looking at me, waiting me out to see what I would do. After a few seconds and thinking all is well, she took a step backward without taking her eyes off of me. It’s as if she was saying, “I wonder if I can get away with this much?” again, I said, “No,” but this time it had some umph to it. We stared at each other for a few seconds, and she did it again! But this time she turned and took off! I had to chase after her. She was making a break for it and thought it was funny. I caught her and pulled her up into my arms and gave her a big kiss and we just giggled together. Then she started asking for momma.
As a child of God I know I have a Father who loves me. He doesn’t have a leash on me like an animal and He allows me freedom. I am free to make my own choices, to do what I want, and go where I want. But sometimes I make bad choices that get me in trouble. Sure, I know they are wrong. I know it’s going to get me in deep trouble, but I test the waters. Like my daughter did, I take a step back and I hear the Holy Spirit saying, “Don’t go there! Don’t do it!” Sometimes I listen, but there are times when I ignore God and do it any way. Does God come after me with a whip ready to beat me down? No. He gently reaches down and grabs me, loves on me, and sets me back in a safe place. Are you “testing the waters”? Are you seeing just what God will let you get away with? He’s going to let you play the game but whenever you have had enough, remember, His grace is sufficient. He loves you and He is waiting to take you back. He wants to set you in a safe place. I want to encourage you to read the story of the prodigal son found in Luke 15:11-32. This story illustrates the heart of our heavenly Father. Quit playing games with God and let Him love on you for a while. Randy

the storm

Last Friday we had to take my son to Vanderbilt for an EEG. It had been raining all morning and it was to get stormy as the day went on. After our appointment was over we went and checked out “the dragon”. “The dragon” was a play area my youngest son had noticed from the window of our doctor’s waiting room. “The dragon” turned out to be a little play area on the sixth floor, but it was outside. There was a little dragon, a castle, and some swings. We were out there for a few minutes and it started getting dark. Then it came…a big rumble of thunder in the background. Then I saw some lightening so we headed inside. I forgot to mention that the tornado sirens had been going off the whole time we were out there. After being raised in West Tennessee where it seems tornadoes come through every day I didn’t think a whole lot about it but my six year old was concerned. He kept saying, “Let’s get out of this town!” My wife and I tried to explain that he was in the best place he could be if a tornado hit! He was at a hospital with a bunch of doctors! But all he could see was that dark cloud and all he could hear was the tornado sirens (by the way, it was the cloud that the tornado in Murfreesboro came out of, that’s why the sirens were sounding so he had a right to be scared. It was just minutes away!). We could never convince him that he was safe while we were there. It wasn’t until we got in our vehicle and drove to Nanny’s that he felt safe.
How many times have we acted just like my child? Think about it. We are surrounded by storms every day. We are faced with struggles on every side, every which way we turn. The sirens are blaring in our ears telling us to take cover and all we can think is, “I’ve got to get out of this place!” But what we fail to see is that we are in the best place we could be! We are safe in the arms of Jesus. We are hidden beneath His wings of love, sheltered by His fortress. He is not up in a cloud somewhere or sitting up in heaven watching everything going on! No! He is right here beside us…in us…in the midst of His people. We, who call on His name, have a rock that cannot be moved! There is no use in going somewhere else to find safety or to get away from the storms. He will walk with us through it! Isaiah 43:1-5a says But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “ Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I gave Egypt for your ransom, Ethiopia and Seba in your place. Since you were precious in My sight, You have been honored, And I have loved you; Therefore I will give men for you, And people for your life. Fear not, for I am with you…No. Don’t fear the storms, don’t run from the storms, don’t run away from God, walk with Him through the storm, He will help you through. If you are “in Christ (Colossians 2:6-12)” you are in the safest place you can be. Trust Him. It was hard for my son to trust what we were telling him but he did. The storm passed and he was safe. Your storm will soon pass. Keep the faith and trust Him. Randy

He's out of here!

He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay (Matthew 28:6). It’s as simple as this: do you believe or not? Maybe you’re like Thomas who wasn’t there with the other disciples the first time Jesus came into the room and showed them His hands and side. They tried to tell Thomas that Jesus was not dead and that He really was alive but he would not listen. He said, “"Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it (John 20:25)." And it’s like Jesus just toyed with Thomas for a little while because in the very next verse we see where Jesus waited eight days before showing up again with Thomas being present this time. He goes straight to Thomas, “Here you go! See My hands? Want to touch My side? Do not be unbelieving but believing.” This is the key. Be believing.
If you can take out the resurrection then you have killed Christianity. Without the resurrection Christianity is just a fluke and it’s just a religion. Which in turn, makes people like me weirdoes. Well, some people consider me a weirdo anyway, but the resurrection is absolute truth. It really happened. It is what gives us our hope. Jesus came out of the tomb in three days alive, ascended back to the Father in Heaven, and sent down the Holy Spirit to guide us as we walk with God. Take a look at 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 for further reading. Revelation 1:17-18 Jesus says to John, “Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death.” Through Jesus we have victory over death! It is NOT over when we take our last breath. There is an eternity waiting on the other side! And through Jesus, we can have life with God everlasting. If we reject Him, we will spend it with Satan, in everlasting torment. Do you believe or not? It doesn’t really matter if you do or don’t! It doesn’t change things at all. If you choose not to believe, then God is still God, the resurrection has still happened, people are dying everyday, and eternity still waits on the other side. The reality of it all is YOU will soon find out that it is real and YOU will wish that YOU had believed! I’ll leave you with the words of Jesus to Thomas in John 20:29, “Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” Randy