After All, It is Christmas...

Have you noticed the way Christmas affects people? This is the time of year that you see some peculiar behavior. 

What makes people totally redecorate their houses with trees, candles, lights, and outdoor displays? Grown men will risk life and limb to put lights on the roofs of their houses, just to out do their neighbors. Families will trek out to the woods to cut down a perfectly healthy tree, cover it with fake snow, rearrange furniture to put it up in their house, decorate it with lights and ornaments, as it slowly dies. It doesn’t make sense, but after all, it’s Christmas.

Only at Christmas time, do you find people eating things like “fruitcake” and drinking stuff called “egg nog.” This time of year, people will fight traffic to go to the mall and park two times zones away, to brotherly shove one another in store aisles and stand in long lines in the wee hours of the morning to purchase the hottest new gadget.   They will spend money they don’t have, to purchase gifts for people, who don’t need them. It doesn’t make much sense, but after all, it’s Christmas.

Over two thousand years ago, God sent His Son into the world, not as a King or mighty warrior, but as a baby wrapped in rags with a feed trough for a bed. . Jesus, was not born in a major city like Rome nor Jerusalem, but instead a small town called Bethlehem. His earthly parents were not royalty or rich, just an ordinary carpenter and his young wife. His miraculous arrival was first announced to lowly shepherds and stargazers instead of the high priests or world leaders. All this strikes me as a bit peculiar…but after all, it’s Christmas. Only God would have ever thought of Christmas.

In the midst of the craziness of Christmas time, we should never lose sight that we celebrate the Incarnation of Christ. God gave the world, a gift wrapped in human flesh to dwell among men to reveal God to us. He lived without sin, but died for sinners like you and me. He rose from the grave to prove that everlasting life was His to give, His gift to all who would believe. That doesn’t make much sense, but after all, it is Christmas.

“For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son that whoseover believes in Him would not perish but have everlasting life."…(John 3:16)

May the greatest gift of all be yours!
Have a Blessed Christmas,

Ellis and Jackie Hayden

The Boys of Fall

This is an "edited" feature I wrote for the Gladewater Mirror and Big Sandy-Hawkins Journal as part of their Fall Sports Preview for the 2010 Football season.  Inspired by country entertainer, Kenny Chesney’s new release, “The Boys of Fall,” I added a little commentary to localize the essence of high school football in East Texas. Because in this part of East Texas, high school football is more than a game, its part of the fabric of our lives.

The Boys of Fall

Well, its turn and face the stars and stripes,
Its fightin back them butterflies
Its call it in the air alright yes sir we want the ball
And its knockin' heads and talkin trash
Its slingin mud and dirt and grass
Its I got your number, I got your back when your backs against the wall
You mess with one man, you got us all,
The boys of fall.

From Celina to Joaquin, the Friday night lights of high school football stadiums pierce the darkness. Whether its a big Class 5A program like Tyler Lee or a small one, like the Six-Man football played at Leverette’s Chapel, its still football and their fans order their lives around the season schedule. On Friday, from Paris to Italy (Texas, that is), yellow school buses with teams, bands and fans will be caravanning down the highways on their way to a stadium somewhere. All for the boys of Fall.

Well I feel that chill, smell that fresh cut grass
I’m back in my helmet, cleats and shoulder pads
Standin' in the huddle, listenin' to the call
Fans going crazy for the boys of fall

They didn't let just anybody in that club
Took every ounce of heart and sweat and blood
To get to wear those game day jerseys down the hall
Kings of school, man, we're the boys of fall.

As memories of their playing days come flashing back, men become the boys of fall again. All the sights and sounds, even the smells trigger flashbacks of those times when they were on the field. From the stands, they see things on the field, that others don’t see because they have been in that elite club. Life lessons were learned there. Friendships were forged there. Blood, sweat and tears were spilled there. Between goal lines, they experienced the thrill of victory and agony of defeat. That’s why they come back year after year, to remember and relive those days when they were kings.

In little towns like mine, thats all they got
Newspaper clippings fill the coffee shops,
The old men with think they know it all
Young girls will dream about the boys of fall.

  High school football consumes East Texas communities like Arp and Daingerfield because the schools are the heart and soul of the community. Their history is chronicled by the win -loss record of the home team that year. The streets are deserted on Friday nights, because everyone is at the game.  Old and young, will debate important questions like…who was the best you ever saw?…was it Campbell or Shead? Harrell or Mallett? Moore or Alexander? …that is until next “best ever” comes along.

Well its turn and face the stars and stripes,
Its fightin back them butterflies
Its call it in the air alright yes sir we want the ball
And its knockin' heads and talkin trash
Its slingin mud and dirt and grass
Its I got your number, I got your back when your backs against the wall
You mess with one man, you got us all,
The boys of fall.

 Friday night throughout East Texas, high school teams with mascots like Lions, Tigers, and Bears (oh,my), as well as Bulldogs and Buckeyes will kick off the 2010 season against Eagles, Wildcats, Mustangs, Pirates and Panthers . All with high hopes. Coaches and players alike, will be fightin’ back butterflies. There will definitely be the knockin’ of heads. Bands will be blaring fight songs. Cheerleaders will be jumping. And the fans will be drawn to football stadiums, like moths to the lights.

All because of the boys of fall.

Walking On Water

While enjoying a day of fishing on a pond, three preachers got into a discussion about faith. One of the preachers declared, "I have the faith to believe that I can walk on water to the shore."  He put down his rod and reel, stood up, stepped out of the boat and proceeded to walk on the water to the shore. One of the preachers still in the boat, cried out, "I've got as much faith as you." Then he stood up, stepped out of the boat and walked on the water to the shore joining the other preacher.  The preacher, still in the boat was unwilling to acknowledge that the others had more faith than he, declared, "I have faith, too."  He then stood up, stepped out of the boat into the water and sank like a rock.  As he came up gasping for air and started paddling toward the shore.  The two other preachers were having a great laugh, when one turned to the other,and asked,  "Do you think we should  tell him where the stumps are?"

God's Word says "For we walk by faith, not by sight."  (2 Corinthians 5:7 KJV)  It is not easy to do, is it? 

Remember the account in the Matthew 14, when Jesus sent the disciples ahead to cross the Sea of Galilee by boat at night, as he remained behind to pray.  The wind hindered their progress, and around 3:00 AM, Jesus came to them, walking on the water. The disciples were terrified, thinking that Jesus was a ghost.  Jesus reassured them, saying, "Take courage.  It is I. Don't be afraid."  Impetuously, Peter said, "if it is you, Lord, bid me to come to you on the water."  Jesus said, "Come."  Peter climbed out of the boat, and started walking on the water toward Jesus.  How in the world, did Peter do that?  He walked on water.  That's impossible.

Did someone tell him where the stumps were?  No, there weren't any tree stumps, but there are some spiritual stumps that he used  that can help us to walk on water. 

The first stump is BELIEVE.  Peter believed in who Jesus was and believed that He was able to empower him to do what He was doing. Henry Blackaby defines faith as having confidence that what God promises or says will come to pass.  Believe that God is God and nothing is impossible for Him.  Believe that if He tells us to do something, He is able to empower us to accomplish it.  Do you have complete confidence in God's word?

The second stump is ACT.  Faith is more than just believing, it also involves acting on what you believe.  Peter did something that none of the other disciples did that night.  He got out of the boat.  The other disciples didn't.  You can't walk on water, if you don't get out of the boat. We must act on what we believe, trusting God all the way.  Are you ready to get out of the boat?

The third stump is KEEP YOUR EYES ON JESUS.  Now we all remember, that Peter was doing great until he became distracted by the wind and the waves. Taking his eyes off Jesus, he began to sink into the water.  Peter wasn't walking on the water, in his own strength.  It was trusting in Jesus that enabled him to walk on the water. Isn't it the same for us, we are all sunk without Jesus?  Fortunately, He rescues us when we fail, and reminds us that we can accomplish more, if we just trust Him.

Walking on water isn't impossible, when you know where the stumps are.