Skip to main content

You gotta come apart

Many of you know that I was mentored by several wonderful men of God, one of them, the former State Overseer of Tennessee, Bishop Eugene Weakley. Those of us who spent any time at all around the Bishop were very familiar with some of his favorite quotes. One of my favorites was, "preacher, if you don't come apart every once in a while, you'll fall apart." His meaning was simple, ministers need a little time off every once in a while, or the stress and load of the work will overwhelm you.

This last week, I took the Bishop's advice and "came apart" to spend time with my family and to recharge the batteries of ministry. I'm not sure Disney World is the best place in the world to unwind and relax, but it is the favorite place in the world for my family. I tried my best to keep up with them, but often had to just say, "I'll catch up with you at the next place."

In those times of waiting, or catching up, I had a lot of time to think and reflect on several of my actions or decisions in the past few years. If I could change some things, I certainly would, but there were other things that I would have done just the same way. In a job like mine, you make decisions with the best information you have at the time, and do your best to live out integrity and honor.

Today is my first day "back to work" and the pile is deeper, but with a renewed sense of rest and relaxation, I will start through it systematically. Someone once asked, "how do you eat an elephant?" The old fellow in the room answered, "one bite at a time."

Special thanks to the state staff that works so faithfully, and special thanks to the District Presbyters who help carry the load to keep me from falling apart. God bless you is my prayer.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

From Hate to Faith

The Church Of God Of Prophecy at Oliver Springs would like to invite you to come and listen to Jim Tull, a former leader of the Aryan Brotherhood - a secret society that espouses hatred of minorities and is also associated with a motorcycle gang known for its cruelty and criminal activities. Jim Tull has a message that will hit home to everyone from the youth to your grandmother. His testimony includes how he "violated all 10 commandments" and how he taught hatred and violence. WHEN: Saturday, March 10th at 6:00 P.M. WHERE: The Church of God of Prophecy, Oliver Springs. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CALL ROY MASSENGALE AT 435-5800. PLEASE ANNOUNCE AND POST THE ATTACHED FLYER. Thank you and God bless.

Dr. David Horton

Lee University News Article: Dr. David Horton Dies Suddenly on Choir Tour: Funeral is Saturday Funeral services for Dr. David Horton have been scheduled for Saturday at 4:00 p.m. at the North Cleveland Church of God. The family will receive visitors Friday at Rush Funeral Home from 2-4 and 6-9 p.m. Dr. David Horton, a veteran member of the Lee University music faculty, died suddenly Monday evening following an apparent heart attack. Horton was in Nassau, Bahamas, on the first day of a post-commencement ministry tour with Campus Choir when he was stricken. His wife Virginia was with him as they returned to their hotel following dinner when he suddenly collapsed and was rushed to a hospital. "We are all stunned and deeply saddened by this unexpected loss," said president Dr. Paul Conn. "There are few people who have ever made such a huge impact on the life of Lee University as Dr. Horton has made. He and his wife Virginia have poured themselves into the lives of so many s

Come Down From That Ivory Tower

Hebrews 11 has become known as the "Hall of Faith." The reason is quite simple. The writer spends a great deal of time giving a role call of the heroes of the faith. After all, this chapter is about faith, and what better way to teach faith than to illustrate with some real-life examples. Mos of the people in this chapter are well-known, at least by anyone who spent time squirming in a Sunday School class as a small child, or who watched the late-night movies on the local channels featuring their stories. Who were they? Abel, Enoch and Noah. Abel pleased God with his excellent offering, Enoch was so close to God that he actually walked with God to the point that one evening, while walking God said to Enoch, "we are closer to my house than we are yours, so why don't you just go home with me?" Of course, Noah built an ark (according to God's instructions) that saved mankind from total destruction. Then there was Abraham...the father of the faithful. He