Change In Plans

Well we made it safely to New Orleans about 1:00 CST on Monday. Pictured at left is our home away from home, the new Henry Hall at Providence Guest House on the beautiful campus of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. We had a safe trip overnight and the weather was, and is perfect here. Linda and I had a great afternoon and evening with Jay, Michelle, Quint and Canon and a good night's rest. However, we were saddened to hear the news of the passing of our friend, Rick Rakes.

Rick and I graduated together from Huntington East High School in 1968, but only became close friends over the past 6 1/2 years. Rick was chairman of the pastor search committee that recommended me to the congregation of Westmoreland Baptist Church. He served as a Deacon, Sunday School Teacher, and Church Treasurer during his years at Westmoreland. We have grown close as brothers over these past six years. Although I am saddened at Rick's home going, I am rejoicing that he is no longer suffering, and that for the first time in over 20 years the four Rakes siblings are together with no sickness. What a glad reunion that must have been at 10:02 last night when Rick joined Darrell, Connie, and Trudy in the presence of the Lord!

It will be my honor to officiate at his funeral service this week end.

Linda and I will be leaving for home on Wednesday (a couple of days earlier than planned). We are thankful for the time we have had to spend with our young'uns here in the Big Easy. The kids are a joy to be around.

The visits are too few and too far between.

Don't Let Christmas Die

We bought an artificial tree several years ago. It's a good one - very realistic looking. Every year, just after Thanksgiving I pack it up out of the basement, help set it up, and then turn over the decorating to the "Vice President in Charge of All Things Decorative at Christmas" (VPICATDC). She is much better at it than I and she is even the one who has the extra duty at work of doing the Christmas decorations at Ashland Community and Technical College. She even does the major Christmas decorations at the home of the college President! My job is to do the menial labor and to enjoy the beauty of the tree during the Christmas season. The youngest grandson looks at the tree in marvel and the kids are fascinated with the beautifully wrapped gifts under it's artificial boughs. Then, usually on New Year's Day, we undecorate the masterpiece (I am allowed to help). The tree is disassembled into three large sections, folded up and goes back in it's huge box. I drag that box and the several related plastic tubs back to their place of exile in the back room of the basement, across from the furnace.

It was not that way when I was growing up on Gallaher Street, in the Walnut Hills section of the east end of Huntington, WV. Hardly anyone had an artificial tree. In the early 60's my grandfather had one of those weird aluminum trees. It came with a spotlight and revolving colored lenses that cast red, blue, green, and yellow hues upon it's metallic branches. Most of our neighbors, however, had the real thing in their homes. We would go down to "Gallaherville", and peruse the trees which filled the lot of the Dairy Cheer which would be closed for the winter. Trees of various heights and different varieties stood, nailed to wooden crosses as their bases. My favorites were the Scotch Pines or the Blue Spruces. Dad would thoroughly examine each tree, turning it so Mom could see it from every angle, and point out any holes or unsymmetrical characteristics. Having found the perfect tree, Dad would then haggle over the prices with the owner of the lot, much like Ralphie's Dad in the classic movie, "A Christmas Story". When negotiations would come to a standstill, Dad would threaten to go down to the big lot on 20th Street, and eventually the owner would capitulate to his threat and lower his price. We then would tie the tree to the top of the car and drive back up Gallaher Street for the major project that involved putting up the tree.

That ritual was multiplied in households up and down our street and all over our town. The trees stood proudly in our homes, decorated with lights, bulbs, ornaments of all types, icicles and a glowing star on top. There was nothing more beautiful to me than the Christmas tree in all of it's glowing and glittering grandeur. That all changed sometime on Christmas afternoon or evening. With the gifts all gone from under it's boughs, the tree seemed somehow empty. The tinsel did not seem to glitter as much, and even the lights did not appear as bright. After a day or so, we began to remove the decorations and pack them away in their boxes for next year. The tree had aged while in our living room. Now the branches were brittle. Even though we had dutifully kept fresh water in the stand, the needles began to fall from the tree and it was time to go. Once most of the decorations were removed, Dad would unceremoniously drag the dried out tree to the curb for the city to pick up.

As one drove through the streets of the city, dead used up Christmas trees lined the way. Many of them still held residue of the holiday. A little tinsel or a strand of ribbon could be seen here or there, but they all lay in silent testimony to the fact that Christmas was over!

Aren't we often like those discarded trees? Especially those of us who identify ourselves as followers of Jesus Christ?

At Christmas time we take up arms in the culture war. We righteously proclaim the "true meaning of Christmas". We coin familiar slogans such as "Jesus is the Reason for the Season" and "Wise Men Still Seek Him" as our mantras. We buy gifts for those we love. We begin to think of others who are less fortunate. Often we give of our financial resources to all types of charitable causes. We remember our military personnel and their families. We may even volunteer to work in a mission house, cooking meals, or even ringing the bell for the Salvation Army. We send greeting cards and messages of love to family and friends. Some visit hospitals and bring presents to sick children. We find ourselves being kind to strangers, opening doors for folks, and helping someone pick up their dropped packages in the mall. Some of us even become much more confident at this season to witness to others about our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Church buildings are packed with happy worshippers, and we often light candles in emotional services signifying the light of salvation that came into a sin darkened world 20 centuries ago.

Christmas is indeed a special time, but sadly, for many people, Christmas is over at midnight on December 25th. So many of the acts of kindness cease. The goodwill comes to a screeching halt. The Gospel message is packed away for another year. Many forget about the "reason for the season" and go back to the culture of self, and to the focus on getting ahead, or just getting by. Attendance at worship services go back to the "faithful few". Witnessing becomes a chore, and our Christian testimonies resemble so many discarded Christmas trees, with only a hint of the glow of the Christian life to be found in the dry, broken branches.

Let us resolve not to let Christmas die when we go to bed on December 25th. Our world needs the light of the "Good Tidings of Great Joy" - today, more than ever.

Have a Merry Christmas, tomorrow, and for the next 365 days as well!

Just for Fun!

Long ago (maybe 28 years or so) I decided to purchase a set of World Book Encyclopedias for my young family. When the books arrived they were promptly unpacked and prominently displayed in the big bookshelf in our living room. Linda and I were both pleased to see Jay, who was about seven years old at the time, regularly leafing through the pages of the various volumes.

On one particular occasion, Jay came to the bathroom door and threw it open - encyclopedia volume open in his hands. I was (how can I say this?) otherwise occupied at the time, and asked him what was so important that I should be disturbed in this "quiet time".

Peering into the open book, Jay asked me, "Dad, what is M-Y-T-H-I-C-A-L?"

Now, I was proud that the boy was broadening his horizons by reading the encyclopedia, and I told him so.

"That's mythical. When something is mythical that means it's a myth - kind of like a legend", I said with all my fatherly wisdom.

"Then that means it's not true - right?", he queried.

"That's right", I said proudly. "It's just sort of a tale."

"Aha!", He yelled so loudly and unexpectedly, that I nearly jumped off the porcelain convenience. "Listen to this!" he cried out - reading from the encyclopedia - "Santa Claus, a mythical character who..."

He had me. The jig was up. He now had the truth about Santa. The innocence was gone and there was nothing I could do to get the toothpaste back into the tube. I reached over to where the boy stood and grabbed him, drawing him right to my face. "Listen to me!" I whispered hoarsely. "If you spoil this for your little brother - I'll pinch your head off!" Not wishing to be decapitated in such a way, he quickly promised to make no such revelation to little Benji, and immediately exited the room.

I have always been a big fan of Santa. Now before anyone gets offended and wants to lecture me about the true meaning of Christmas, just give me a break here. I love Santa stories - always have. I guess I got that from my Dad who is also a big fan of the fat man in the red suit. In fact, years ago he even owned a Santa suit which he wore on special occasions at Christmas time to bring delight to many little ones. I just love to see little children's eyes light up in the presence of the Jolly Old Elf! In our family, the kids learned from day one what Christmas is really all about, but when they were small, I treasured their love for the old "mythical character".

So in the spirit of all that, let me share with you an email sent to me last week from Felina Wells. I have no idea who may have written this article, but they sure did a lot of research. Having traveled halfway around the earth myself, nearly 10 times, this little article gives me an even greater respect for the monumental task Old Santa faces every December 24th. Consider the following article:

1. Santa's Workload There are two billion children in the world, but since Santa doesn't appear to handle the Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, and Buddhist children, that reduces his workload to 15% of the total, or 300 million. At an average rate of 3.5 children per household, that's 85.7 million homes. Santa has 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to the different times zones and the rotation of the Earth, assuming he travels East to West. This works out to 767.9 visits per second. So for each household with good children, Santa has about 1/1,000th of a second to park, hop out of the sleigh, jump down the chimney, fill the stockings, distribute the presents, eat whatever snacks have been left, get back up the chimney, into the sleigh and move on to the next house."

2. The Time/Distance Factor Assuming that these 91.8 million stops are evenly distributed around the Earth, we're talking about .78 miles per household, a total trip of 75.5 million miles.

3. Calculation of Estimated Speed This means that Santa's sleigh is moving at 650 miles per second, or 3,000 times the speed of sound.

4. Santa's Payload Assuming that each child gets nothing more than a medium-size Lego set (about two pounds), the sleigh is carrying 321,300 tons, not counting Santa, who is invariably described as "heavy." On land, normal reindeer could pull no more than 300 pounds, and even granting that flying reindeer could pull 10 times the normal amount, Santa's going to need 214,200 reindeer to pull his sleigh. This increases the payload to 353,430 tons, or four times the weight of the "Queen Elizabeth."

Conclusion: A craft of 353,000 tons, traveling at 650 miles per second, creates enormous air resistance. This will heat up Mr. Claus and his sleigh like a spacecraft reentering Earth's atmosphere.

Translation: If there is a Santa, he's toast.

Big Thrill for Asher and Will

Pictured here are grandsons Will and Asher with Arizona Diamondbacks star pitcher Brandon Webb. Brandon is an Ashland native who still makes his off season home here in Ashland. He is two or three years younger than Benji but they played high school ball together on Ben's senior year and later that summer in French Harmon's Ashland Athletics. The A's went to the Connie Mack regional tournament that year in Memphis, TN representing the state of Kentucky.

Brandon played in our Ashland American Little League, and his first season (as an 8 year old) he played on my Adkins Insurance Agency team - coached by Rob Francis and David May and helped the team win the Minor League Championship in 1986. He was a member of the Ashland American State Little League Championship team as an 11 year old in 1988. He attended UK and played baseball there, and after he developed the most wicked sinker ball in the major leagues, his career took off. He won the Cy Young Award as the National League's best pitcher in 2006 and finished second for the same award in 2007 & 2008. This past season he led all National League pitchers in wins and he is always among the league leaders in strike outs.

Will and Asher were thrilled to meet Brandon in person. Will plays for the Diamondbacks in the Boyd County National Little League and wears Brandon's #17 on his uniform. Brandon is one of his sports heroes and he is a great Christian role model for kids who look up to him. I think Will was kind of proud that his dad knows Brandon. Benji said Asher was very excited about getting to meet Brandon, but when he got there he got a case of "lockjaw". Anybody who knows Asher, knows that he's a real talker. Apparently he got a little shy in the presence of the big league pitcher.

Everyone here in the Ashland community is proud of Brandon, both for his great success and for the fine role model he is to the kids.

Another Clean Report

This is Dr. Kirti Jain. I love this guy. The Lord has spared my life for four years after my being diagnosed with metastatic colon cancer, and He has chosen to use Dr. Jain in His plan.

Two weeks ago I had my periodic PET and CT scans at Dr. Jain's Ashland-Bellefonte Cancer Center. Friday, December 19th, was my followup appointment with the Doctor to get my test results. Upon hearing that I would have to wait two weeks to hear the results, several of my friends asked, "Doesn't it drive you crazy to have to wait that long to find out if any thing is wrong?" Well, four years ago it would have, but along this journey, God has certainly given me more patience than I have ever experienced before. He has given me a peace in understanding that everything is in His hands, and my responsibility is simply to strap in and take the ride.

It's been quite a ride at that!

Early on, many friends suggested that I consider pursuing treatment at the Mayo Clinic, The James Cancer Center in Columbus, or M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. The Lord impressed upon my heart to ask for Dr. Jain. There are a number of excellent oncologists in the Tri State Area, but for some reason I felt drawn to Dr. Jain. Twenty years ago, I sat at the bedside of one of my church members as Dr. Jain broke the news to her and her family that the various treatments had failed to impact the malignancy. There was nothing else he could do. The compassion I sensed in this Indian physician made a tremendous impression on this pastor. I was impressed at the amount of time he spent with this patient and her family, and the empathy them.

Over the years of my ministry in Ashland, I had crossed paths with Dr. Jain a few times. Even though I didn't know him personally, I was impressed with his professionalism, and his medical credentials (he had been trained at New York's highly esteemed Memorial Sloan- Kettering Cancer Center). I was most impressed by his compassion for his patients. So, when they broke the news to me that the tumor in my colon had spread to my liver and numerous lymph nodes, I simply said, "Can I see Dr. Jain?"

Shortly after returning home from my colon surgery in December, 2004, a neighbor came by the house for a visit. The outlook was grim. "Stage four, incurable - hopefully manageable through treatments", I had been told. Chemotherapy treatments awaited, and the sobering odds for survival time held an average of 18-22 months. My neighbor (who was an unbeliever) was very upset.

"Why would God let this happen to you, when you spend your life working for Him?" he asked bitterly.

"Why not me?", I replied. "We're all terminal. None of us know the date, time, or circumstances, but our mortality is a fact. Since we don't know what tomorrow holds, it is comforting to know who holds tomorrow."

At that point, God gave me the words to say that set the tone for the future.

"I figure one of three outcomes is sure to happen", I told him. "Perhaps God will totally heal me of this disease. If he chooses to do so, I will give Him all the credit and praise." "If not", I continued, "He may chose to allow the doctors and health care professionals to use their skills to prolong my life for a while. In that case I will thank them for their help and give God the glory for the outcome. Failing that, God will take me home to be with Him, and I will be able to praise Him, face to face, for eternity, for He is certainly worthy!"

"I never thought of it that way" my neighbor said.

The news I received today was excellent. Blood work was good, and the scans were clear again. I am still in remission. Dr. Jain told me that only 30% of the patients in my circumstances survive for four years. He smiled and agreed with me when I verbally thanked God for His provision. I also firmly shook the doctor's hand and thanked him for the compassionate and professional way that he had treated me for the past four years.

God has used Dr. Jain and his staff at the Cancer Center to treat me wisely. Here is a photo of four of the nurses who were involved in my treatments and the two six month courses of chemotherapy. Crystal, Robyn, Christie, and Vada are the best! They became almost like family to me during that period of chemo treatments. Crystal has some health problems of her own and no longer works there regularly. Robyn has moved on to a large hospital in Atlanta, and Christie is the Supervising Oncology nurse at Bellefonte Hospital now. I still see Vada every month when I go in for my blood work and to have my medi-port flushed. I can never thank them enough for the kind professional way they went about doing what has to be a truly difficult job.

The whole staff at ABCC has been wonderful to me and Linda. I thank God that He has used them in His plan for my life. Of course, I have no way of knowing what the future holds, but I am glad I know the one who holds my future.

The Three Important Things

Have you ever noticed that there are no player's names on the back of the football uniforms at Notre Dame? Ever wonder why? That is because when Lou Holtz arrived at South Bend, Indiana to coach the Fighting Irish, he perceived that the squad who had gone 5-6 the previous year was more of a collection of personalities than a team. Always a strict disciplinarian, Holtz ordered the names removed from the jerseys to enforce the team concept that he wanted to stress. The move was typical of Holtz' coaching style, and it must have been effective. His record during his years at Notre Dame was 100-30-2! To this day, with the exception of one game (the 1988 Cotton Bowl), players names have not appeared on the Notre Dame football jerseys since his arrival there.

Lou Holtz is quite a guy. My grandson simply knows him as "Dr. Lou" the college football analyst on ESPN, but folks from my generation know him as one of the great collegiate football coaches of all time. A native of Follansbee, WV, Holtz grew up in East Liverpool, OH where he played high school football. His college ball was played in the Mid American Conference at Kent State, where he graduated in 1959. Holtz was enshrined in the College Football Hall of Fame - not because of his prowess as a player - but due to his tremendous success as a coach.

Having served as head coach of six college teams (William and Mary, North Carolina State, Arkansas, Minnesota, Notre Dame, and South Carolina) Coach Holtz' lifetime record stands at 249 wins, 132 losses, and 7 tie games. He holds the distinction of being the only NCAA coach who has taken six different programs to appearances in Bowl Games. He is also the only NCAA coach to lead four different programs to final Top 20 ratings. He owns several conference championship rings and one National Championship title, when his Fighting Irish defeated West Virginia's Mountianeers in the 1988 Cotton Bowl.

For all his success on the gridiron and as a game analyst, Lou Holtz stands out in my mind for a very different reason. Holtz is also a great motivational speaker. For 24 years I was an agent representing Nationwide Insurance Companies. The late Jim Ciccarrelli, was our Regional Sales Manager for several years in the early 80's. Jim was a football fan in general and a great admirer of Lou Holtz. He knew that a positive mental attitude was a necessary component in the lives of successful salespeople. There were several occasions in Regional Sales Meetings when Jim would show his sales force some type of motivational film. One such film was a speech given by Lou Holtz to some sort of sales convention. The name of the particular group to which he was speaking escapes me, but the message has been ingrained in my memory for over 25 years.

"Dr. Lou" said that no matter who you are, and what position you hold, there are three things that, if practiced regularly, will make you successful in your field of endeavor. Well naturally my ears perked up. Several thoughts raced through my mind. A simple formula? Only three things? What could these great truths be? It turns out that the three things were very simple truths. What were they?

1. Always do what's right.

2. Always do your best.

3. Always treat others the way you would like to be treated.

Wow! How simple - yet profound. Truths so valuable that I have attempted to teach my sons, and that I now hope to ingrain in my grandsons before I pass from the scene.

As a follower of Jesus Christ, I immediately realized that these three truths were consistent with the truth of His teachings. While each concept is found in the Word of God, they can only be fully put into practice through a personal relationship with Jesus.

No matter how hard one may try, in our flesh it is nearly impossible to always do what's right. Check out the Apostle Paul's frustration in Romans 7. "When I would do good, evil is always present" he cries. Yet in the next chapter He explains how victory over this sinful flesh is available through the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Later, in his letter to the Philippian Christians, he victoriously states, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!"

The question arises today, "How do we know what's right?" There are choices to make every day. In our culture, the line of demarcation between right and wrong is often blurred. Pagan philosophies and situation ethics send out mixed messages. Yet a verse in the 119 division of the ancient Book of Psalms reminds us "How a young man can cleanse his ways... by taking heed to the Word of God". The Bible is the road map to right thinking and right living. It is, indeed, "a lamp unto our feet and a light to our path." Furthermore the passage tells us that if we "hide His Word in our hearts", we will not sin against God!

"Always do your best" is also a powerful command. Former President Jimmy Carter wrote in his autobiography of an encounter he had as a young Naval officer with Admiral Elmo Zumwalt. Carter had just graduated from the Naval Academy and was applying for duty as an officer in Zumwalt's Nuclear Submarine Command. During the interview process, Carter says he encountered all of the questions that he had anticipated, except for the final query. The old Admiral had gone over Carter's academic records and his service records and then he looked Carter in the eye and asked, "Have you always done your best?" Carter hesitated for a moment and then sheepishly replied, "No sir, I don't suppose I have ALWAYS done my best". Zumwalt's withering response was, "Why not?"

How do you answer a question like that? What will we, as Christians, say, when we stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, should the Master ask us a similar question? Doesn't His Word tell us , "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance; for you serve the Lord Christ. But he who does wrong will be repaid for what he has done, and there is no partiality." (Colossians 3: 23-25). For the Christ Follower, doing the right thing is not an option. We represent Him in this world. Our actions should always glorify God. Paul reminds us of the importance of our actions to our Christian testimony, "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God". (1 Corinthians 10: 31)

Then, finally, think of the third imperative. "Always treat others the way you would like to be treated". Ever heard that one before? As a child, I remember Mom once asking me, "What does the Golden Rule say?" "Do unto others as they do unto you" was my errant reply. She corrected me immediately. Some folks today have that same erroneous philosophy I had exhibited. Others will tell you, "Do unto others BEFORE they do unto you". But here is what Jesus said, "Treat others the way you would like to be treated". That goes in any situation of life. In business, at play, in the family, on the highway, and in the church. Treat others with the respect you would like to be afforded in the same situation.

Coach Holtz' "Three Important Things" are truly helpful for success in life in general. For Christians, they are MANDATORY!

My Sixth Anniversary at Westmoreland Baptist Church

Last night the adult choir of Westmoreland Baptist Church performed the Christmas Cantata, "Comfort and Joy" in our evening service. It was the first major project taken on by our interim Music Director, Carla Bell, and our choir responded wonderfully. Carla stepped into a big empty spot this spring after the West Virginia Convention of Southern Baptists State Office hired our former Music Minister, Randy Spurgeon, as the Convention's Director of Music and Family Ministry. She has done a yeoman's (yeowoman's?) job of leading our music program while she holds down a full time position at Huntington Federal Savings and Loan. Her circumstances were made even more difficult by the long illness of her father and his passing in October. The service was not just some "dry cantata", but was actually a warm worship experience. It was a most pleasant end to an important day to me.

You see, Sunday, December 14th, marked my 6th anniversary as pastor of Westmoreland Baptist Church. To say it has been quite a ride would be an understatement. I want to thank God for His Providence in bringing me to this place of service and for the wonderful people I have had opportunity to serve with and to serve. I also thank Him for His Grace that has helped to make them six of the most precious years of my 38 years in ministry.

According to my records, in the past six years I have preached 708 messages; married 12 couples; baptized 70 people; taken part in 9 mission trips (six overseas trips and three in North America); made countless visits to hospitals and nursing homes; and conducted 64 funeral and memorial services. As pastor, I have visited in numerous homes; canvassed the neighborhood; organized two Upward Sports Ministry leagues; held three evangelistic block parties; sat in on dozens of committee meetings; attended numerous youth rallies and associational events, went to six Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meetings; served two years as state convention president; and began a five year term on the Board of Trustees of New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary. Furthermore I have been blessed to shepherd a flock that is easy to love. Easy for me to love, because they are beloved of the Father.

During these six years, I have also managed to work in six surgical procedures (three on my feet and three related to my battle with cancer); two six month courses of chemotherapy and all of the CT Scans, PET Scans, blood work, and all the other medical stuff that goes along with the above. Perhaps now you see why I thank Him for His Grace!

Have there been some ministry challenges during the past six years? Of course! That goes with the territory. But God has been faithful to me and to His people in this congregation. Personally I would love to have seen more baptisms, but He has added souls into His Kingdom as He sees fit, and I am simply thankful to be where He has placed me at this time. We want to be busy in the work of the Father, but we do not want it to just be so much busy work and activity. We seek to magnify Him in worship, help build Christ Followers along the way, as we minister to people in Jesus' name.

Last night's service was a really special ending to a special day for me.