The Valley

The valley is defined in landscape as a 'low place' between the hills or mountains.

We all have walked valleys in life, either physical or spiritual.  If you are an outdoor person, you know that valleys are typically places where streams or rivers flow, where greenery flourishes, and where 'waste' can gather.  The mountains and hills 'deposit' water, melting ice caps, and waste from living animals and  humans, into valleys.

However, in certain places, the waters flow clearly and the green grass is continually renewed by the Creator for the grazing animals.

Spiritually speaking, if you have experienced 'the valley', you know that there is no experience quite so excruciating as the dark place.  You feel alone.  You feel rejected.  You feel overlooked.  You feel defeated, depleted of energy, and completely overwhelmed.

The valley is a playground for the enemy.  Like the little cartoon character devil-with-pitchfork sitting on your shoulder, the enemy of your soul whispers the most insidious lies and deceptions in order to keep you down, to keep you defeated, and to completely sabotage your relationship with God.  It's what he does.  It's who he is.  Liar. Deceiver. Father of lies.

In the 1970s, my sweet Mama taught me a Gospel song written by the legendary songwriter Dottie Rambo.  "In The Valley (He Restoreth My Soul)" has become one of those cherished songs that takes me back to wonderful memories of God's amazing and sustaining Grace during the valleys and dark moments in my life. Mama knows Grace.  She's seen God's Hand move miraculously in her own life.  Many times.  She's lived it.  She's walked it.  She ministers Grace to everyone she possibly can.  I love that she taught me Grace at such a young age.

The most popular church hymn that we've all sung at some point, "Amazing Grace", says it best,

Through many dangers, toils, and snares
I have already come
'Tis Grace hath brought me safe thus far
And Grace will lead me Home

I love the new version of the old song that Chris Tomlin has introduced to the Church as well,

My chains are gone
I've been set free
My God, My Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood
His mercy rains
Unending Love, Amazing Grace

I don't know what you might be facing today.  Maybe you are on a mountaintop and life is Good.  You are winning.  All is well.  The bank account has plenty, the business is progressing, the investment portfolio is performing well, all the loved ones are healthy ... life is Good.

But, maybe ... you are in yet another Valley.  The days are bleak.  The nights are horrifying.  Sleep will not come.  Rest is nowhere in sight.  Layoffs and job loss have sidetracked you.  Terminal illness and Death have visited your house.  Bill collectors are calling on the hour, every hour.   You have made terrible decisions in your moments of weakness and now the consequences are completely overwhelming.

There is Hope.  There is Peace.  There is Light at the end of the tunnel.  As cliche as it sounds, God is right there in the Valley with you.  The Holy Spirit's Presence is a prayer away.  Jesus, your Redeemer and Friend, has paid the total cost for your sin, for your freedom, for an abundant life on earth, and for your eternity in Paradise.  Whether you 'feel' that salvation, healing, restoration, and freedom ...or not.

Pray. Worship. Listen. Wait.  He is here.  He will touch you.  You can be healed.  Tomorrow will come.  Joy can be restored.  Let the LORD restore you ... today.

Your Opinion Really Does and Does Not Matter

So, it's been a while since I posted here.  LIFE has been very difficult for the past year or so, but I won't bore you with the sordid details here, since these are mere #firstworld problems.

That said, why post a blog today?  Well, as an aspiring writer, this forum seems to be the only way I can truly discipline myself to journal my thoughts with any semblance of normalcy.


My doctors all say that I struggle with Adult ADHD, anxiety disorder, and random panic attacks.  Medications help; but not really.  They just make me feel worse, most of the time.  Still, God shows great mercy to those who struggle and so I am grateful.

As a believer in Christ, and as a vocational minister of the Gospel for more than 30 years, I find that midlife gives me a much greater perspective on the world in which I live, on my personal beliefs and convictions, and certainly on the purpose for which God has put me here on this ball of dirt and water.

OPINIONS. Everybody's got one.  Like belly-buttons. You've heard that silly adage before I'm sure.  We ALL have thoughts about life, about beliefs, about customs, about traditions.

Most of our thoughts are based upon the existence we were born into -- our home life.  From infancy through early adolescence, most professionals in modern psychiatry and general medicine will agree that our thoughts are formed from the earliest experiences and conditions we encountered from conception.  Well, at least the pro-life advocates will agree on that concept.

As a Christ follower and believer, of course I choose to adhere to a Biblical worldview, but I find myself also grappling with the views and opinions of those who do not choose to agree with me.  I can choose to debate, argue, and stand-down those who disagree with me.  And many of my peers in Christianity do in fact choose that position.

Or, I can choose to listen, to understand you and your existence, your thoughts and opinions.  I can still choose to disagree with you, but if I follow the teachings of Jesus Christ as I say that I do, then it behooves me to hear you out, before I choose to reply, rebut, and certainly, if I am going to choose to rebuke.

I read ... a lot!  Many of my peers poke at me because I choose to read almost everything I can get my hands on.  With the internet and much of the world's intellect at our very fingertips ... my hunger for knowledge is now limitless!  Right!?  Of course, everything on the internet is true ... right?!

*insert tongue-in-cheek sarcastic look*

My true desire is to better understand and simply engage in a variety of streams of thought, opinion, and even, debate.  In my specific little world of Protestant and Catholic preachers, ministers, and church leaders, I am considered by many in my circles as a theological #conservative and as a social #moderate.  Well, that is, if we're picking sides, or teams.  Which, by the way, I despise.  I always have shunned the 'my team' versus 'your team' approach to Christianity.  Yet, it still exists.  Oh how predictable we are as humans.

So, my opinion then, is going to reflect my early childhood experiences along with the opinions and beliefs that were taught to me during adolescence and the teenage years.  But then, something amazing occurs ... adult life.

Whether you had opportunity to attend college and university, or were forced by either your will or your circumstances to enter the workforce ... Adult life became your window to the world as you had not previously understood it.  As the little Disney song goes, " ... a whole new world ...".

You now have the opportunity to think, opine, believe, and express yourself as YOU choose.  Of course, family beliefs and opinions will still weigh into HOW you choose to think, belief, and express yourself.  But, at the end of the day, it's YOUR opinion.


In America, we value our Constitutional rights supremely.  We have built our entire form of self-government around our Constitutional rights.  The Law of the Land is designed to assure every natural born or naturalized Citizen of these United States of America those rights.  But, there is a Higher Law.

The Bible speaks of a Higher Law which rules at a higher level than even that of the U.S. Supreme Court.  Of course, if you choose not to believe in Biblical creation and God's supreme existence above and in charge of humanity, then you are left to your own system of chaos, disorder, and calamity.

So, back to OPINIONS.  Does my opinion matter?  Does your opinion matter?  Yes, and yes.  And ... no.

My opinion matters most to me, because, after all, it's MINE.  It originated in my mind, in my soul, and I express it from my spirit.  Or ... do I really?  The Bible teaches me that I am 'not my own', that I have been 'bought with a price', that Jesus Christ actually 'redeemed' me from the eternal death that I was rushing towards in this life, and the hereafter, without Him.

So, if I choose to allow the Holy Spirit to teach me, to inspire me, to give me the God-thoughts that He would prefer that I think, believe, and express ... then, my thoughts, opinions, and beliefs ... really should be ... His.  They belong to Him.  They came from Him.  They are expressed into this world, through me, as an 'agent' or 'vessel' of His very own.

Your opinion matters most to you, because, after all, it's YOURS.  And just as my opinion is formed by my birth and early childhood existence, the teachings of my parents, as well as those who influenced my life through teen years and early adulthood, so is yours.  And, just like I have the freewill to choose whether I will allow my thoughts, beliefs, and expressions to reflect a Biblical worldview ... so do you.

You can choose to formulate your opinion, your belief, and your stated values around a self-centered worldview.  Or, you can choose to formulate those ideas and expressions around a God-centered worldview.

I know ... that's just too dumbed-down and simplified for the intellectual who simply must know it all.  Surely, there is a Higher Order of things.  Surely, it's not as simple as ... 'blind' faith.  Really?

Well, in my OPINION ... yes, it's that simple.  It's not easy.  But, it's really that simple.

This life as we know it, is going to be filled with many seasons.  Seasons of great joy.  Seasons of great suffering.  God-moments.  In it all, we are free to formulate our opinions, based upon a core value of experiences, systems of belief, and an eternal worldview.

I pray that I will continue to formulate MY opinions on a Higher Law than those which govern us in this very small universe that we now know.

To quote the great prophet Isaiah:

"For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts." - Isaiah 55:9

More opinions ... later.

April 2016 Podcast

Join me for about 10-minutes over a cup of your favorite blend ... and THANKS for your support!

April 2016 Podcast

The Quiet Place

So ...

Christmas has come and gone and Happy New Year celebrations are next on the calendar.

The Big Ball will drop in New York.  The Moon Pie will drop in Mobile, AL.  The Who Dat will march and dance in The Big Easy.

Meanwhile, here in sleepy little Pascagoula, many are longing for quiet.  And for the most part we get to enjoy our fair share of it.

Quiet. Solitude. Rest. Peace. Rare commodities in today's crazy mixed up war-torn world.

One of my favorite 90s worship song lyrics reads, " ... in the secret, in the quiet place, in the stillness, You are there ...".  (*Andy Park, In The Secret)

Scripture reminds me, " ... be still, and know that I am God ..." (Psalm 46:10)

My beautiful precious wife has nearly mastered the art of stillness.  She is the steady rock in our family.  She is very much an emotional creature, but her emotions are very much in check and disciplined.  On the other hand, I am the spontaneous, ADHD, all-over-the-map emotional roller-coaster.  Only by God's amazing Grace has she survived our 31-years of marriage, prefaced by three years of lovesick courtship!  (( I owe you honey-- BIG TIME! ))

As the year 2016 quickly approaches, I am seeking the heart of the Father more intentionally than ever.  Part of my seeking will need to include more stillness.  Quiet.  Solitude.  And, that will be one of my most difficult challenges.

You see, I am a Producer by nature.  It's in my DNA.  Give me a project -- and, it's ON like a chicken bone!

I probably inherited this behavioral and genetic code from both parents, who grew up on farms near small-town America in the heyday of the 1940s and 50s, following the horrors of the Great Depression in America.  Their parents had learned to make something of nothing.  Live off the raw land.  Work, work, work ... all day from dawn to dusk ... and then some!  The trait has passed on into my bloodline, and thus, the challenge of Quiet stares me down.

The Producer in me finds in almost sinful to ... rest, take solitude, and be still.

Something about the Puritanical influence of early America seemed to drill into our forefathers and mothers the idea that WORK, in and of itself, is somehow spiritual and noble.  And, those who cannot, or will not work are simply ... unfit, unbecoming, and certainly undeserving of the privileges and liberties provided to those who pursue happiness.  I mean, that's downright un-American!  Right?!

But, what about Sabbath rest?  Isn't there a godly place for rest?  Of course, the answer is a resounding YES.

Today, in our sleepy little hometown, it's the week between Christmas Day and New Years Day.  Some are tying up end-of-the-year deadlines and loose-ends.  Many who can afford to, have deserted sleepy-little-town for more luxurious surroundings where they might toast the New Year with loved ones, friends, or associates to the delight of party and pizazz.  Yet others, like me, are simply longing for ... Quiet.  Rest.  Sabbath.

Whatever might be on your plate today, I urge you to embrace the challenge that God Himself issues to everyone of us ... especially, Producers.  Be STILL.  And KNOW Him.

Here's to a Happy New Year filled with blessing and prosperity.  But first ... find your Quiet Place.

Thanksgiving

For nearly 400 years, Americans have celebrated Thanksgiving in some fashion, based upon historical records, presidential declarations, and good old-fashioned traditions.

Today, we find ourselves in a 21-st century maze of information overload, prosperity beyond belief, and luxuries that our forefathers could have only fantasized about from their humble beginnings here.

The menu of foods is mind-boggling. The Black Friday marketing machine has become the dream of billionaires.  The fans-gone-wild sports industry is bigger than ever.  And somehow, amidst the craziness of life as we know it in America, we are challenged to stop, bow, humble ourselves, and show gratitude and thanks to a God who rarely gets a nod from us throughout the busyness of our lives.

Apostle Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:18, "Whatever happens, keep thanking God because of Jesus Christ. This is what God wants you to do." (CEV)

Whatever happens.  Really??

There are parts of scripture that I really just don't like.  I don't understand.  I find myself struggling to agree with.  This is one of them.  Whatever happens ... keep thanking God.

But, what about the painful losses that I've suffered.  What about the unfair treatment I have endured.  What about the nasty rumors that have been spoken about me.  What about the acts of terror that are committed against innocent people around the world, and now even in my own beloved America ... the land of the free?!

I must read on.  The wise apostle says to keep on thanking God ... because of Jesus Christ.

Because.  Because of Who He is.  Because of What He has done.  Because of His suffering.  Because of the great price He has paid for my sin, and that of all humanity.  Because He is to be praised and glorified.  Because of His great salvation that His blood purchased.  Because of the epic battle that He has won over death, hell, and the grave.  Because He now sits at the right hand of The Father ever singing over me, interceding for me, pouring out His Spirit on me.

This is what God wants me to do.  This is what God wants you to do.  This is what we MUST do ... if we are to find any sense of true joy in this sin-sick world.

So, today ... I give thanks.  Jesus, thank You for the Cross.  Thank You for the price you paid.  Thank You for not quitting.  Thank You for defeating sin.  Thank You for my family, for my health, for the luxuries that we enjoy in America.  We are not worthy, and yet You have blessed us tremendously.

O God, I want to please you ... so, today I will give thanks.

House Church

So, my family and I are worshiping together in 'church' service this past Sunday and the pastor teaches from Philemon. You know, that little bitty one chapter letter from Paul in the New Testament.

Now, Philemon was evidently a wealthy guy in his day, possibly a bishop in the Church, and a slave-owner.  Read it for yourself and discern the facts.

Back to last Sunday ... 

So, as the pastor is reading the scripture, this phrase from verse 2 pierces my brain, " ... the church that meets in your house ...".  What?  Huh?  (( nudging my wife )) Did you hear that?  The church that meets in your HOUSE.

House Church.

So, how 'large' is this congregation that meets at Philemon's house?  30 people?  60 people?  100-or more??  Just how big a house are we talking here?!

TWO major thoughts cross my mind as the pastor continues and brilliantly delivers a challenge to his congregation from this quick memo penned by Apostle Paul.

1.  WEALTH attracts people.

Americans are infamous for criticizing and ostracizing wealthy, famous, and notorious people in society.  If you seem to have more than me ... the jealousy in me rages and I have to criticize what I don't believe I can personally accomplish, as compared to you.  So, really -- it's a comparison game.  And, an unfair one at that.

Philemon was obviously a wealthy guy from all accounts.  He was highly regarded in his community, owned slaves or servants [employees?], and had enough influence, or notoriety, to attract large numbers of believers to his HOUSE for church services.

I once heard a financially successful and quite wealthy Christian businessman say, " ... one thing's for sure, when I was broke, living in a double-wide, and barely paying my light bill, NOBODY was beating down my door to find out how I was succeeding in life!"

Wealth -- in whatever way one might measure wealth -- is sure to attract people.  Healthy, wealthy, and wise is a principle taught straight from scripture.  Refer to 3 John 2

2.  A HOUSE should be a HOME.

I know of many houses -- or, structures which house people -- that are far from being considered Home.  Home is that feeling of safety, security, belonging, and acceptance, where one can simply BE.

When I'm 'at home' ... I kick off my shoes, put my feet up, relax, and enjoy the loved ones who live in my home with me.

My beautiful wife is the driving force of Peace in our home.  She sets the tone.  Her beauty, her spirit, her attitude, her discipline, her intuition, her wisdom, and her spiritual discernment flow into every nook and cranny of our home.

Our amazing children are fruit of our love and our labor, displaying natural gifts and abilities, and excelling in the skills they have acquired.  They prove by their actions that they love us, even when they goof; and we prove our love for them by maintaining a standard of Love, Forgiveness, Acceptance, and Discipline.  Everyone does their best to model Christ ... but, even when we miss the mark ... we always go back to Love.

When everyone is BEING who they are created to BE ... it's HOME.

Back to Philemon's House Church ...

For many reasons, the Church in 1st-century Christianity was meeting predominantly in Houses -- or, in the Homes of believers, and non-believers who were seeking Truth.  Politically, this was necessary due to dangerous rulers who were murdering and martyring Believers at every opportunity.  I'm sure that somehow in God's Grand Design ... He intended it.


21-st Century House Church ...

Here we are in 21-st century America, Europe, Asia, and beyond ... and it seems that the cycle has nearly come full circle.  Is it time to return to House Church?  Are we prepared to gather, belong, and care for one another at that level of intimacy and compassion?

Pride will throw temper tantrums in that atmosphere.  Selfishness will suffocate.  Hateful and prejudicial attitudes will be fully exposed.  Only the Law of LOVE will survive.  Only COMPASSION can be the Rule of that Law.

I welcome your thoughts and comments.  Love God ... and Love People.

New Seasons

I love the Israel Houghton & New Breed song, "New Season".  That song came into my life at a time when I was emotionally, financially, and spiritually depleted.  Today, nearly 20 years after that very difficult season in our lives, the Lord is moving us into yet another season of life that is filled with excitement, anticipation, and yes, if I am honest, a few trepidations.

With a heavy dose of #DaringFaith we desire to fulfill God's call on our lives and follow His commission to influence all who will to come into His Kingdom.

Sunday, April 19, 2015 will mark our last Sunday on staff as Minister of Music with Ingalls Avenue Baptist Church Pascagoula.  We joined the Ministry Staff in November 2012 with great joy and anticipation of God's blessing and vision, and He has certainly fulfilled many of our hopes and dreams for this dear congregation of folks and for His Kingdom.

Under our watch with Pastor John Turner, Pastor Jonathon Watts (Student Ministry), and a host of faithful volunteers in Choir, Praise Team, and Media Ministry, we have enjoyed a season of sweet worship, the joy of new souls birthed into the Kingdom of God, the celebration of baptisms and dedications, and of course the sorrows of grief and pain which this life will always contend with.

Beginning April 20th, I will enter into the business world once again, as a Financial Advisor with one of the most prestigious and well-respected banking institutions on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.  I have many friends and peers in this industry, and I look forward to the learning curve as God moves me into a new season of work, career development, and friendships.

We are eternally grateful and thankful to our family, friends, neighbors, co-workers, and especially Prayer Warriors who have encouraged us, prayed over us, and carried us through life's turmoils.  God has a great and wonderful Plan for us all.  It is our desire to fulfill that Plan for Him through our careers, our family activities, our ministries, and even our play and recreation.  ALL for His glory.

More details ... coming soon!  Stay tuned. We LOVE you!

Robby & Sheryl